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埃菲尔 (āi fēi ěr) — Eiffel (proper noun, as in the Eiffel Tower or Gustave Eiffel)

Definition

noun
Eiffel (proper noun, as in the Eiffel Tower or Gustave Eiffel)

Examples

  • 埃菲尔。
    Wǒ qù le bā lí de āi fēi ěr tiě tǎ.
    I went to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
  • 埃菲尔。
    āi fēi ěr Shì yí wèi zhù míng de fǎ guó gōng chéng shī.
    Eiffel was a famous French engineer.
  • 埃菲尔。
    Zhè zuò qiáo shì āi fēi ěr shè jì de.
    This bridge was designed by Eiffel.

Origin

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
土土tǔearth; soil
Sound part声符shēngfú
矣
矣yǐ埃āi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 土 side of 埃 relates to earth or soil, while 矣 gives the sound.

Open 埃 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi菲fěi
Same sound today

菲 puts 艹, showing a plant, together with 非, which gives its sound.

Open 菲 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 爾; 尔 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 爾, simplified as 尔, originally drew cloth on a loom with crossing threads. It was borrowed for its sound to write “you,” so the picture is unrelated to that meaning.

Open 尔 →
Appears in
Landmarks & Attractions

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