偶 (ǒu) — by chance; accidentally (used in compounds like 偶然, 偶遇); even (number) (used in compounds like 偶数, 对偶); idol; image of a person (used in compounds like 偶像, 木偶)
Definition
Bound morpheme with three unrelated meanings used mainly in compounds: 'by chance' (偶然, 偶遇), 'even (number)' (偶数, 对偶), and 'image/idol' (偶像, 木偶).
bound form
by chanceaccidentally (used in compounds like 偶然, 偶遇)even (number) (used in compounds like 偶数, 对偶)idolimage of a person (used in compounds like 偶像, 木偶)
Examples
- 。Tā ǒu rán zài jiē shàng yù dào le lǎo péng you.He happened to run into an old friend on the street.
- ，。Zhè ge shù zì shì ǒu shù, kě yǐ bèi èr zhěng chú.This number is even and can be divided by two.
- 。Hěn duō nián qīng rén bǎ míng xīng dàng zuò zì jǐ de ǒu xiàng.Many young people regard celebrities as their idols.
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.
Sound part声符shēngfú
禺
禺yú偶ǒu
Same sound today
偶 pairs 亻 (person) with 禺 for the sound. The evidence describes it as a statue of a person, an idol.
Appears in
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