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圣诞树 (Shèng dàn shù) — Christmas tree

Definition

noun
Christmas tree
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 圣诞树。
    Měi nián shèng dàn jié wǒ men dōu huì zhuāng shì Shèng dàn shù.
    Every Christmas we decorate the Christmas tree.
  • 圣诞树。
    Gōng yuán lǐ yǒu yì kē hěn piào liang de Shèng dàn shù.
    There is a very beautiful Christmas tree in the park.
  • 圣诞树。
    Shèng dàn shù Shàng guà mǎn le cǎi dēng hé xīng xing.
    The Christmas tree is hung with colorful lights and stars.

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.

圣诞Christmas
圣shèngholy诞dànbirth
偏正Modifier + head
树shùtree

圣诞 gives the idea of Christmas, and 树 gives the idea of a tree, so the meaning is a Christmas tree.

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 聖; 圣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
呈
呈chéng聖shèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 聖 puts 耳 (ear) beside 呈, which gives the sound; the simplified 圣 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 圣 →

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 誕; 诞 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
延
延yán誕dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 誕 combines 言 (word, speech) with 延, which gives the sound; the simplified 诞 is a later shorthand.

Open 诞 →

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 樹; 树 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
尌
尌shù樹shù
Same sound today

Originally 尌, 'to plant a tree', was written alone; the traditional form 樹 adds 木, 'tree', to it to differentiate.

Open 树 →
Appears in
Festivals & HolidaysPlants & Flowers

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