年鉴 (nián jiàn) — yearbook; almanac | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

yearbookalmanac

Measure word · 本

。
Zhè běn nián jiàn jì lù le qù nián shè huì de zhòng yào shì jiàn.
This yearbook records the important events of last year's society.
。
Wǒ men xué xiào měi nián dōu huì chū bǎn yì běn nián jiàn.
Our school publishes a yearbook every year.
年鉴，。
Chá yí xià zhè běn nóng yè nián jiàn, lǐ miàn yǒu xiáng xì de shù jù.
Check this agricultural almanac — it has detailed data inside.

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.

鉴jiànmirror or reference

The meanings of 年 (year) and 鉴 (mirror or reference) combine to name a yearly reference book.

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

禾禾héwheat; grain

Sound part声符shēngfú

人

人rén年nián

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

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 鑑; 鉴 is its simplified writing.

金監鑑

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān鑑jiàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 鑑 pairs 金, showing metal, with 監 for sound; the simplified 鉴 is a later abbreviation, not the source of this shape.

Appears in