() — example, instance

Definition

noun
exampleinstance
Measure word ·

Examples

  • Zhè ge lì zi hěn jiǎn dān.
    This example is very simple.
  • Lǎo shī jǔ le yí gè lì zi lái shuō míng zhè ge gài niàn.
    The teacher gave an example to explain this concept.
  • Qǐng yǐ zhè ge lì zi wéi zhǔn.
    Please take this example as the standard.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Written in full asrén
Sound part声符shēngfú
liè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

例 is built from 亻, which relates to people, and 列, which gives the sound.

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