咸蛋 (xián dàn) — salted egg (preserved in brine, typically duck egg)

Definition

noun
salted egg (preserved in brine, typically duck egg)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 咸蛋。
    Zǎo cān wǒ chī le yí gè xián dàn hé yì wǎn zhōu.
    For breakfast I ate a salted egg and a bowl of congee.
  • 咸蛋。
    Zhè zhǒng xián dàn de dàn huáng hěn xiāng.
    The yolk of this kind of salted egg is very fragrant.
  • 咸蛋。
    Mā ma yòng xián dàn zuò le yuè bing.
    Mom used salted eggs to make mooncakes.

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.

咸xiánsalty
蛋dànegg

咸 and 蛋 combine to name a salty preserved egg.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鹹; 咸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鹵鹵lǔsalt
Sound part声符shēngfú
咸
咸xián鹹xián
Same sound today

The traditional form 鹹 pairs 鹵 (salt) with 咸 as a sound part; the simplified 咸 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 咸 →

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
虫虫chóngsnake, insect
Sound part声符shēngfú
延
延yán蛋dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 蛋, the lower part 虫 is a snake or insect, and the upper part is a shortened 延 giving the sound for 'egg'.

Open 蛋 →

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