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圣诞老人 (Shèng dàn Lǎo rén) — Santa Claus

Definition

noun
Santa Claus
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 圣诞老人。
    Hái zi men dōu qī dài Shèng dàn Lǎo rén de dào lái.
    Children all look forward to the arrival of Santa Claus.
  • ，圣诞老人。
    Měi nián shèng dàn jié, Shèng dàn Lǎo rén dōu huì gěi hái zi men sòng lǐ wù.
    Every Christmas, Santa Claus gives gifts to children.
  • 圣诞老人。
    Wǒ xiǎo shí hou zhēn de xiāng xìn Shèng dàn Lǎo rén cún zài.
    When I was little, I really believed Santa Claus existed.

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holy birth
圣shèngholy诞dànbirth
偏正Modifier + head
老人old person
老lǎoold人rénperson
偏正Modifier + head

A 圣诞 (holy birth) 老人 (old person) is the old man linked to Christmas.

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 →

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

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
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