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小组 (xiǎo zǔ) — group (of people)

Definition

小组 is a small working group, usually for study, projects, or short-term tasks. Use 组 alone as the noun ‘group’ or as a classifier; 队 implies an organized team like sports or military.

noun
group (of people)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 小组。
    Wǒ men xiǎo zǔ yǒu wǔ gè rén.
    Our group has five people.
  • 小组。
    Tā cān jiā le zhè ge xiǎo zǔ.
    He joined this group.
  • 小组。
    Wǒ men xiǎo zǔ yì qǐ zuò zuò yè.
    Our group does homework together.

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
组zǔgroup

小 means small, 组 means group; together they name a small group of people.

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 組; 组 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě組zǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 組 pairs 糸 (silk) with 且 as a sound part; the simplified 组 is a shorthand.

Open 组 →
Appears in
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