和约 (hé yuē) — peace treaty | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

peace treaty

Measure word · 个

Examples

和约，。
Liǎng guó qiān shǔ le hé yuē, jié shù le zhàn zhēng.
The two countries signed a peace treaty, ending the war.
和约。
Zhè fèn hé yuē shì zài zhōng lì guó tán pàn dá chéng de.
This peace treaty was negotiated in a neutral country.
和约。
Lì shǐ xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū nà fèn hé yuē de tiáo kuǎn.
Historians are studying the terms of that peace treaty.

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.

An 约, treaty, made for 和, peace, is a peace treaty.

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.

禾口和

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

禾

禾hé和hé

Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 約; 约 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìrope

Sound part声符shēngfú

勺

勺sháo約yuē

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

The traditional form 約 uses 糸, a rope, for its meaning and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 约 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

International & Diplomacy

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