修道院 (xiū dào yuàn) — (religion) monastery; (religion) convent

Definition

noun
(religion) monastery(religion) convent
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 修道院。
    Zhè zuò xiū dào yuàn yǒu yì bǎi duō nián de lì shǐ le.
    This monastery has a history of over 100 years.
  • 修道院。
    Tā jué dìng qù xiū dào yuàn dāng xiū nǚ.
    She decided to go to the convent to become a nun.
  • 修道院，。
    Zhè zuò xiū dào yuàn wèi yú shān dǐng, fēng jǐng fēi cháng měi.
    This monastery is located on the mountaintop, and the scenery is very beautiful.

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.

修道cultivate the Way
修xiūcultivate道dàothe Way
动宾Verb + object
院yuàninstitution

“修” (cultivate) and “道” (the Way) make “修道” (cultivating the Way), naming an “院” (institution).

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
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.

Open 修 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
Buildings & StructuresReligion & Belief

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