始于 (shǐ yú) — to start with/from; to begin at/in

Definition

verb

to start with/fromto begin at/in

始于。
Zhè ge chuán tǒng shǐ yú táng dài.
This tradition started in the Tang Dynasty.
始于。
Sī chóu zhī lù shǐ yú cháng ān.
The Silk Road began at Chang'an.
始于。
Tā de chéng gōng shǐ yú yí gè xiǎo xiǎo de mèng xiǎng.
His success started from a small dream.

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.

女台始

Meaning part形符xíngfú

女女nǚwoman

Sound part声符shēngfú

台

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.

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

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Appears in