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丝瓜 (sī guā) — loofah, towel gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, a vegetable)

Definition

noun
loofahtowel gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca, a vegetable)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 丝瓜，。
    Jīn tiān zài shì chǎng mǎi le liǎng tiáo sī guā, zhǔn bèi zuò tāng.
    I bought two loofahs at the market today and plan to make soup.
  • 丝瓜。
    sī guā Chǎo jī dàn shì yí dào hěn jiǎn dān de jiā cháng cài.
    Stir-fried loofah with eggs is a very simple home-style dish.
  • 丝瓜。
    Lǎo le de sī guā kě yǐ yòng lái zuò xǐ wǎn bù.
    Old loofahs can be used as dishcloths.

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.

丝sīthread/fiber
瓜guāgourd

丝 means 'thread/fiber' and 瓜 means 'gourd', describing a fibrous gourd.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絲; 丝 is its simplified writing.

  • 糸糸mì
  • 糸糸mì

In the traditional form 絲, the shape is two 糸 written together; this is about 絲, not the simplified 丝.

Open 丝 →

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

The shape of 瓜 is drawn from a melon hanging from its vines, which matches its meaning.

Open 瓜 →
Appears in
Vegetables

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