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黄蜂 (huáng fēng) — wasp

Definition

noun
wasp
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 黄蜂，。
    Huā yuán lǐ yǒu yì zhī jù dà de huáng fēng, wǒ yǒu diǎn hài pà.
    There is a huge wasp in the garden, I'm a bit scared.
  • 黄蜂。
    huáng fēng De cháo tōng cháng jiàn zài wū yán xià huò shù chà shàng.
    Wasp nests are usually built under eaves or in tree forks.
  • 黄蜂，。
    Bèi huáng fēng zhē le yǐ hòu, shāng kǒu huì yòu hóng yòu zhǒng.
    After being stung by a wasp, the wound becomes red and swollen.

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.

黄huángyellow
蜂fēngbee or wasp

黄 means yellow and 蜂 means bee or wasp, so it denotes a yellow wasp.

Characters in this word

Most 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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

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
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
夆
夆páng蜂fēng
Same sound today

蜂 puts 虫, showing an insect, beside 夆, which gives its sound.

Open 蜂 →
Appears in
Insects

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