十六日 (shí liù rì) — the sixteenth day (of a month)

Definition

A formal, written way to say 'the sixteenth (day of the month)' using the 日 reading. In everyday speech, 十六号 is more common.

noun
the sixteenth day (of a month)

Examples

  • 十六日。
    shí liù rì Shì tā de shēng rì.
    The sixteenth is her birthday.
  • 十六日。
    Huì yì dìng zài shí liù rì jǔ xíng.
    The meeting is scheduled for the sixteenth.
  • 十六日。
    shí liù rì Nà tiān wǒ xiū xi.
    I have the day off on the sixteenth.

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.

十六sixteen
十shíten六liùsix
联合Side by side
日rìday

The count 十六 and 日 (day) combine to mean the sixteenth day.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 六 may come from a simple drawing of a shed, or from an ancient counting mark.

Open 六 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

日 originally drew the sun. A mark was added inside to tell it apart from similar square shapes.

Open 日 →

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