小声 (xiǎo shēng) — low voice, low volume (noun) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

low voicelow volume (noun)

Examples

小声。
Zài tú shū guǎn lǐ qǐng bǎo chí xiǎo shēng.
Please keep your voice low in the library.
小声。
Wǒ tīng dào le cóng gé bì chuán lái de xiǎo shēng.
I heard a low voice coming from next door.
小声。
Kāi huì shí qǐng dà jiā bǎo chí xiǎo shēng.
During the meeting, please keep your voices down.

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.

“小” (small) describes “声” (sound), giving low volume.

Characters in this word

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

八八bāto divide; to separate
丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

殸耳聲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

耳耳ěrear

Sound part声符shēngfú

殸

殸qìng聲shēng

Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Appears in

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