仔鸡 (zǐ jī) — chick; baby chicken

Definition

noun
chickbaby chicken
Measure word · 只
Easily confused

Examples

  • 仔鸡。
    Nóng chǎng lǐ yǎng le hěn duō zǐ jī.
    The farm raises a lot of chicks.
  • 仔鸡，。
    Zhè xiē zǐ jī gāng chū shēng jǐ tiān, hěn kě ài.
    These chicks were born just a few days ago and are very cute.
  • 仔鸡。
    zǐ jī De sì liào xū yào tè bié pèi zhì.
    The feed for baby chickens needs to be specially formulated.

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.

仔zǎiyoung
鸡jīchicken

A 鸡 that is 仔, a baby chicken.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
子
子zǐ仔zǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

仔 puts 人 (person) next to 子, which gives the sound.

Open 仔 →

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 雞; 鸡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuīshort-tailed bird
Sound part声符shēngfú
奚
奚xī雞jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雞 pairs 奚, which gives the sound, with 隹, a short-tailed bird. The simplified 鸡 is a later shorthand, and its right side is not the historical 奚.

Open 鸡 →

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