句 (jù) — (classifier) for sentences, lines of verse, or short phrases
Definition
句 is a measure word (classifier) used for sentences or short phrases — pair it with 话. 条 and 章 classify longer units of text; 句子 is the noun 'sentence' itself, not a classifier.
classifier
for sentenceslines of verseor short phrases
Examples
- 句。Wǒ shuō le yí jù huà.I said a sentence.
- 句。Tā shuō de měi jù huà wǒ dōu jì zhù le.I remembered every sentence he said.
- 句？Zhè jù huà shì shén me yì si?What does this sentence mean?
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
丩丩jiūto entangle
Sound part声符shēngfú
口
口kǒu句jù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
句 pairs 丩, originally two entangled ropes and giving a sense of entangling, with 口 as the sound part.
Appears in
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