声 (shēng) — (noun) sound, voice, noise; (noun) reputation; (classifier) used for the number of times a sound occurs
Definition
声 (shēng) is the standalone noun for 'sound/voice' and the classifier that counts occurrences of a sound (一声 = one sound). In everyday speech learners will more often see 声音, the fuller word for sound.
noun
soundvoicenoisereputation
classifier
used for the number of times a sound occurs
Examples
- 声。Tā hǎn le yī shēng.He shouted once.
- 。Nà ge shēng yīn hěn dà.That sound is very loud.
- 声。Wǒ ké sou le yī shēng.I coughed once.
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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today
The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.
Appears in
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