圆规 (yuán guī) — compass (for drawing circles and arcs)

Definition

noun

compass (for drawing circles and arcs)

Measure word · 把

圆规。
Tā zhèng zài yòng yuán guī huà yí gè yuán.
He is drawing a circle with a compass.
圆规。
Wǒ mǎi le yì zhī xīn yuán guī.
I bought a new compass.
，圆规。
Shù xué kè shàng, lǎo shī ràng wǒ men yòng yuán guī.
In math class, the teacher had us use compasses.

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.

“圆” contributes circle and “规” contributes a drawing instrument, yielding a compass.

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 圓; 圆 is its simplified writing.

囗員圓

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéi

Sound part声符shēngfú

員

員yuán圓yuán

Same sound today

This is about the traditional form 圓, not the simplified 圆. In 圓, 囗 surrounds 員, and the inner part of 員 is an old circle picture.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 規; 规 is its simplified writing.

夫見規

The simplified 规 is a shorthand; the traditional form 規 shows a cross-shaped compass in its early drawing, and its later form uses 夫 and 見.