副词 (fù cí) — adverb (part of speech)

Definition

The grammar-category label for 'adverb' (e.g. 很, 都, 也, 非常) — the kind of word used to modify a verb or adjective.

noun
adverb (part of speech)

Examples

  • ，副词。
    Xué xí yǔ fǎ shí, wǒ men yào zhù yì fù cí de shǐ yòng.
    When studying grammar, we need to pay attention to the use of adverbs.
  • 副词。
    Zhè ge jù zi lǐ de fù cí yòng dé fēi cháng hǎo.
    The adverb in this sentence is used very well.
  • 副词。
    Lǎo shī jiě shì le fù cí de zuò yòng.
    The teacher explained the function of an adverb.

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.

副fùsecondary
词cíword

The sense of 副 as 'secondary' joins with 词 as 'word' to name this kind of word.

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
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
畐
畐fú副fù
Same sound today

副 is built from 畐, which gives its sound, and 刂, a form of the knife 刀.

Open 副 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →

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