名著 (míng zhù) — masterpiece | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

masterpiece

Measure word · 部

名著。
Zhè bù míng zhù shì zhōng guó wén xué de jīng diǎn.
This masterpiece is a classic of Chinese literature.
名著。
Lǎo shī tuī jiàn wǒ men dú jǐ bù shì jiè míng zhù.
The teacher recommended we read several world masterpieces.
名著。
Tā huā le hěn duō shí jiān yán jiū zhè bù míng zhù.
He spent a lot of time researching this masterpiece.

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.

著zhùwritten work

名 marks something famous, while 著 is a written work, together suggesting a famous work.

Characters in this word

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

夕口名

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

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

艸艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

者

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

著 pairs 艸 (grass or plants) with 者 as the sound part.

Appears in