书 (shū) — book
Definition
书 (shū) means a bound reading book — the common word at HSK 1. 著作 is more formal and refers to a literary or scholarly work.
noun
book
Measure word · 本, 册, 部
Examples
- 。Zhè běn shū hěn hǎo.This book is very good.
- 。Tā yǒu yì běn shū.He has a book.
- 书。Wǒ zài kàn shū.I am reading a book.
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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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