高跟鞋 (gāo gēn xié) — high-heeled shoes | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

high-heeled shoes

Measure word · 双

Examples

高跟鞋。
Tā jīn tiān chuān le yì shuāng hóng sè de gāo gēn xié.
She wore a pair of red high-heeled shoes today.
高跟鞋。
Zǒu lù shí chuān gāo gēn xié yào xiǎo xīn.
Be careful when walking in high-heeled shoes.
高跟鞋，。
Zhè shuāng gāo gēn xié tài gāo le, wǒ bú tài shū fu.
These high-heeled shoes are too tall; I'm not very comfortable.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

高跟high heel

高gāohigh跟gēnheel

偏正Modifier + head

The high 高 heel 跟 together with 鞋 shoe names high-heeled shoes.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

足足zúfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

艮gèn跟gēn

Same sound today

跟 is built from 足 (foot) plus 艮. The 足 part ties the character to foot-related senses, while 艮 gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

革圭鞋

Meaning part形符xíngfú

革革géleather

Sound part声符shēngfú

圭

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

鞋 puts 革 (leather) beside 圭 to show leather shoes; 圭 gives the sound and originally drew a pair of ritual axes, not earth.

Appears in

Footwear & Accessories

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