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园丁 (yuán dīng) — gardener; (figurative) teacher (often used in praise)

Definition

Literally 'garden caretaker' — literally a gardener, but also used figuratively to praise teachers (e.g. 辛勤的园丁 'hardworking gardener') for nurturing students.

noun
gardener(figurative) teacher (often used in praise)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 园丁。
    Zhè wèi yuán dīng měi tiān zài huā yuán lǐ gōng zuò.
    This gardener works in the garden every day.
  • 园丁。
    Lǎo shī shì xīn qín de yuán dīng.
    Teachers are hardworking gardeners.
  • 园丁。
    Xué shēng yǒng yuǎn jì de yuán dīng de jiào dǎo.
    Students always remember their teacher's guidance.

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.

园yuángarden
丁dīngperson

园 names the garden and 丁 names the person, so it is someone who tends a garden.

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
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán园yuán
Same sound today

In 园, 元 sits inside 囗, and 元 gives the sound.

Open 园 →

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

丁 may picture a nail head, a person's head, a square city wall, or a square star pattern.

Open 丁 →
Appears in
Plants & FlowersProfessions & Jobs

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