(é) — (literary bound form) beautiful woman

Definition

Literary bound form meaning 'beautiful woman,' almost always seen in set names like 嫦娥, never used alone. It's a formal, written choice — not for everyday speech.

bound form
(literary bound form) beautiful woman

Examples

  • Zhè ge 'é' zì zài gǔ wén zhōng zhǐ měi nǚ.
    This character 'é' refers to a beautiful woman in classical literature.
  • Cháng é bēn yuè de gù shi jiā yù hù xiǎo.
    The story of Chang'e flying to the moon is well-known to every household.
  • Hěn duō nǚ hái de míng zì lǐ yǒu 'é' zì.
    Many girls' names contain the character 'é'.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

娥 pairs 女, a woman, with 我, which gives the sound.

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