响 (xiǎng) — (verb) to sound, to ring, to make a sound; (adjective) loud, noisy
Definition
A simple everyday word for sounds that ring out: 'to sound, to ring' (the doorbell 响了) and 'loud'. Use 高 when something's volume is simply high; 响 emphasizes the sound itself actually being produced.
verb
to soundto ringto make a sound
adjective
loudnoisy
Examples
- 响，。Mén líng xiǎng le, kuài qù kāi mén.The doorbell rang, go open the door quickly.
- 响，。Zhè ge yīn yuè tài xiǎng le, guān xiǎo yì diǎn ba.This music is too loud, turn it down a bit.
- ，响。Tā yòng lì pāi le yí xià zhuō zi, fā chū hěn xiǎng de shēng yīn.He slapped the table hard, making a very loud sound.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 響; 响 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
鄉
鄉xiāng響xiǎng
Same sound today
The traditional form 響 pairs 音, meaning sound, with 鄉 to give its pronunciation. The simplified 响 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the historical parts.
Appears in
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