哈密瓜 (hā mì guā) — Hami melon (a sweet muskmelon from Xinjiang)

Definition

noun

Hami melon (a sweet muskmelon from Xinjiang)

Measure word · 个

哈密瓜，。
Zhè ge hā mì guā yòu tián yòu cuì, hěn hǎo chī.
This Hami melon is sweet and crunchy, very delicious.
哈密瓜。
Xīn jiāng de hā mì guā fēi cháng yǒu míng.
Xinjiang's Hami melons are very famous.
哈密瓜。
Wǒ mǎi le yí gè hā mì guā dài huí jiā.
I bought a Hami melon and took it home.

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.

口合哈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

合

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

哈 uses 口 (mouth) to show a mouth-related idea, and 合 as a sound part. The shape of 合 may look like two open mouths, but that is likely by chance.

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

宓山密

Meaning part形符xíngfú

山山shānmountain

Sound part声符shēngfú

宓

宓mì密mì

Same sound today

密 pairs 山 (mountain) with 宓 (mì), which gives the pronunciation, to picture something hidden in the mountains, hence secret.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 瓜 is drawn from a melon hanging from its vines, which matches its meaning.

Appears in