鳖 (biē) — soft-shelled turtle
Definition
noun
soft-shelled turtle
Measure word · 只
Examples
- 鳖。Wǒ zài chí táng lǐ kàn dào yì zhī biē.I saw a soft-shelled turtle in the pond.
- 鳖。Zhè dào biē tāng wèi dào hěn xiān měi.This soft-shelled turtle soup tastes very delicious.
- 鳖。biē De ké kě yǐ rù yào.The shell of the soft-shelled turtle can be used in medicine.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 鱉; 鳖 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
魚魚yú
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì鱉biē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 鱉 pairs 魚 (fish) with 敝, which gives the sound; the simplified 鳖 is a later shorthand.
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