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天蝎座 (Tiān xiē zuò) — Scorpio (the astrological sign); Scorpius (the constellation)

Definition

noun
Scorpio (the astrological sign)Scorpius (the constellation)

Examples

  • ，天蝎座。
    Wǒ de shēng rì zài shí yī yuè, suǒ yǐ wǒ shì Tiān xiē zuò.
    My birthday is in November, so I am a Scorpio.
  • 天蝎座。
    Tiān xiē zuò Shì huáng dào shí èr gōng zhī yī.
    Scorpio is one of the twelve zodiac signs.
  • 天蝎座。
    Xià yè zuì róng yì kàn dào Tiān xiē zuò xīng zuò.
    The Scorpius constellation is easiest to see on summer nights.

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.

天蝎scorpion
天tiānheaven蝎xiēscorpion
偏正Modifier + head
座zuòconstellation

天蝎 is the heavenly scorpion and 座 names the constellation, giving Scorpio.

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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 蠍; 蝎 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chóng
Sound part声符shēngfú
歇
歇xiē蠍xiē
Same sound today

The traditional form 蠍 combines 虫 with 歇, a sound part; this describes 蠍, not the simplified 蝎.

Open 蝎 →

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
广广guǎnghouse on cliff
Sound part声符shēngfú
坐
坐zuò座zuò
Same sound today

座 pairs 广, a house on a cliff, with 坐 to give the sound.

Open 座 →
Appears in
Sky & Space

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