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孤儿院 (gū ér yuàn) — orphanage

Definition

noun
orphanage
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 孤儿院。
    Tā cóng xiǎo zài gū ér yuàn zhǎng dà.
    He grew up in an orphanage since he was little.
  • 孤儿院。
    Zhè zuò chéng shì zhǐ yǒu yì suǒ gū ér yuàn.
    This city has only one orphanage.
  • 孤儿院。
    Zhì yuàn zhě men jīng cháng qù gū ér yuàn kàn wàng hái zi men.
    Volunteers often go to the orphanage to visit the children.

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.

孤儿orphan
孤gūorphaned儿érchild
偏正Modifier + head
院yuàninstitution

“孤儿” (orphan child) and “院” (institution) combine to mean a home for orphans.

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
子子zǐchild
Sound part声符shēngfú
瓜
瓜guā孤gū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

孤 uses 子 (child) to show a child, and 瓜 to give the sound.

Open 孤 →

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

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
Groups & OrganizationsSociety & Public Life

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