命案 (mìng àn) — homicide case | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

homicide case

Measure word · 起

Examples

命案。
Zhè shì yì qǐ zhòng dà mìng àn.
This is a major homicide case.
命案。
Jǐng chá zhèng zài diào chá zhè qǐ mìng àn.
The police are investigating this homicide case.
命案。
Tā yīn shè jí yì qǐ mìng àn ér bèi bǔ.
He was arrested for involvement in a homicide case.

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.

命 life and 案 case combine to mean a case involving lives.

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

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

令lìng命mìng

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

命 combines 口, a mouth, with 令, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木安案

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

安

安ān案àn

Same sound today

案 pairs 木, a wood/tree shape, with 安, which is used for its sound.

Appears in

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