墙 (qiáng) — wall
Definition
A standalone word for 'wall' (a structure). 墙壁 is the more formal written version of the same noun. 堵 is only the measure word for walls, not a synonym.
noun
wall
Measure word · 面, 堵
Examples
- 墙。Zhè miàn qiáng hěn jiē shi.This wall is very sturdy.
- 。Tā zài qiáng shàng guà le yì fú huà.He hung a painting on the wall.
- 墙。Zhè dǔ qiáng bǎ yuàn zi fēn chéng le liǎng bù fen.This wall divides the yard into two parts.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 牆; 墙 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
嗇嗇sèwheat in a granary
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán牆qiáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
In the traditional form 牆, 爿 gives the sound and 嗇, showing wheat in a granary, gives the wall meaning. The simplified 墙 is a later short form.
Appears in
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