信差 (xìn chāi) — messenger; mail carrier; postman

Definition

noun
messengermail carrierpostman
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 信差,。
    Tā shì yì míng xìn chāi, měi tiān sòng xìn dào gè jiā gè hù.
    He is a mailman who delivers letters to every household every day.
  • 信差,。
    xìn chāi Qí zhe zì xíng chē, fēi kuài dì chuān guò jiē dào.
    The mailman rode his bicycle and quickly crossed the street.
  • ,信差。
    Zài gǔ dài, xìn chāi shì chuán dì xìn xī de zhòng yào jué sè.
    In ancient times, messengers were important figures for transmitting information.

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.

信xìnletter
差chàmessenger/errand

信 (letter) + 差 (messenger/errand) names a person who carries letters.

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
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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

  • 來來láiwheat
  • 𠂇𠂇𠂇left hand

差 pairs 來 (wheat) with 𠂇 (left hand), showing wheat rubbed in a hand to remove its hull.

Open 差 →

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