佛经 (Fó jīng) — Buddhist scripture; Buddhist texts

Definition

noun

Buddhist scriptureBuddhist texts

Measure word · 部

佛经。
Tā měi tiān dōu huì dú jǐ yè Fó jīng.
He reads a few pages of Buddhist scripture every day.
佛经。
Zhè běn Fó jīng shì yòng fàn wén xiě de.
This Buddhist scripture is written in Sanskrit.
佛经。
Sì miào lǐ shōu cáng le xǔ duō zhēn guì de Fó jīng.
The temple has collected many precious Buddhist texts.

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.

经jīngscripture

佛 refers to Buddha, and 经 means scripture, giving Buddhist scripture.

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.

亻弗佛

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

弗

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

佛 is made from 亻, a person, and 弗, which gives the sound.

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

糹巠經

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread

Sound part声符shēngfú

巠

巠jīng經jīng

Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.