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思想家 (sī xiǎng jiā) — thinker

Definition

noun
thinker
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 思想家。
    Kǒng zǐ shì zhōng guó gǔ dài wěi dà de sī xiǎng jiā.
    Confucius is a great thinker of ancient China.
  • 思想家。
    Hěn duō rén rèn wéi lǔ xùn shì yí wèi zhòng yào de sī xiǎng jiā.
    Many people consider Lu Xun to be an important thinker.
  • 思想家。
    Zhè wèi sī xiǎng jiā de zhù zuò yǐng xiǎng le jǐ dài rén.
    This thinker's works have influenced several generations.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

思想thought
思sīthink想xiǎngthink
联合Coordinate
家jiāperson

The 思 and 想 of thought combine with 家 to denote a person skilled in thinking.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn思sī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 思, 心 (heart) points to thinking, while the top part is a changed form of 囟, which supplied the sound.

Open 思 →

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
心心xīnheart, mind
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng想xiǎng
Same sound today

想 has 心 (heart, mind) below 相 (to look at); the shape shows the mind looking at or considering something, and 相 also gives the sound.

Open 想 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
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