句号 (jù hào) — full stop (.) / period (.)

Definition

noun
full stop (.) / period (.)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 句号,句号。
    Zhōng wén de jù hào shì kōng xīn de, yīng wén de jù hào shì shí xīn de.
    The Chinese full stop is hollow, while the English period is solid.
  • ,句号。
    Xiě zuò wén shí, měi jù huà mò wěi dōu yào jiā jù hào.
    When writing an essay, you need to add a period at the end of every sentence.
  • 句号?
    Zhè ge jù hào shì bu shì lòu xiě le?
    Didn't you miss writing this full stop?

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.

句jùsentence

“句” sentence plus “号” mark: a mark ending a sentence.

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
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.

Open 句 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →

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