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小径 (xiǎo jìng) — path, trail (usually narrow, often in natural settings)

Definition

noun
pathtrail (usually narrow, often in natural settings)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 小径。
    Zhè tiáo xiǎo jìng tōng xiàng shān dǐng.
    This path leads to the mountaintop.
  • 小径。
    Wǒ men zài xiǎo jìng shàng sàn bù.
    We took a walk on the path.
  • 小径。
    Zhè tiáo xiǎo jìng liǎng páng kāi mǎn le huā.
    Flowers bloom on both sides of this path.

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xiǎosmall
径jìngpath

小 means small and 径 means path; together they refer to a small path.

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.

Open 小 →

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 徑; 径 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng徑
Same sound today

The traditional form 徑 is built from 彳 and 巠, with 巠 giving the sound; the simplified 径 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 径 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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