修 (xiū) — to repair; to fix; to build; to construct; to study; to take (a course or class)
Definition
修 covers a wide range: 'repair' (things, like 修理), 'build/construct' (roads, bridges), and 'study/take' (a course). Pair with 修理 for repair work, 写 for writing.
verb
to repairto fixto buildto constructto studyto take (a course or class)
Examples
- ，修。Wǒ de shǒu biǎo huài le, xū yào xiū yí xià.My watch is broken and needs to be repaired.
- 修。Zhè xué qī wǒ xiū le liǎng mén kè.This semester I took two courses.
- 修。Gōng rén men zài xiū yí zuò qiáo.The workers are building a bridge.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.
Appears in
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