口琴 (kǒu qín) — harmonica | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

harmonica

Measure word · 个

Examples

口琴，。
Tā xǐ huan chuī kǒu qín, měi tiān dōu liàn xí.
He likes to play the harmonica and practices every day.
口琴。
Zhè zhī kǒu qín de yīn sè fēi cháng hǎo tīng.
The tone of this harmonica is very pleasant.
口琴，。
Tā zài jiē shàng biǎo yǎn chuī kǒu qín, xī yǐn le xǔ duō rén.
He performed harmonica on the street and attracted many people.

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.

琴qínzither; instrument

A 琴 played with the 口, so the word means a mouth organ or harmonica.

Characters in this word

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

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

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

珡珡qín

Sound part声符shēngfú

今

今jīn琴qín

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

琴 pairs 珡, the part tied to its sense as a stringed instrument, with 今, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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