小燕子 (xiǎo yàn zi) — young swallow; swallow (bird)

Definition

noun

young swallowswallow (bird)

Measure word · 只

，小燕子。
Chūn tiān lái le, xiǎo yàn zi fēi huí lái le.
Spring has come, the young swallow has flown back.
小燕子。
Nà zhī xiǎo yàn zi zài shù shàng zuò le yí gè wō.
That young swallow built a nest in the tree.
小燕子。
Hái zi men xǐ huan kàn xiǎo yàn zi fēi lái fēi qù.
The children like to watch the swallow flying around.

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.

燕子swallow

后缀Suffix

小燕子 combines 小 meaning small or young with 燕子 meaning swallow, giving a young swallow.

Characters in this word

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

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.

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

燕 comes from a picture of a swallow.

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.