威斯康星州 (Wēi sī kāng xīng zhōu) — Wisconsin (US state)

Definition

noun

Wisconsin (US state)

威斯康星州。
Wǒ zài Wēi sī kāng xīng zhōu zhù le liǎng nián.
I lived in Wisconsin for two years.
威斯康星州。
Wēi sī kāng xīng zhōu Shì měi guó de yí gè zhōu.
Wisconsin is a state in the US.
威斯康星州。
Wǒ cóng lái méi yǒu qù guò Wēi sī kāng xīng zhōu.
I have never been to Wisconsin.

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.

威斯康星Wisconsin

The name “威斯康星” (Wisconsin) specifies which “州” (state) is meant.

Characters in this word

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

戌女威

威 is made by combining 戌 and 女.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

康 pairs 庚 (threshing tools) with 米 (rice), showing rice being processed into chaff.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

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

州 originally drew an islet in a river.