恤衫 (xù shān) — shirt (Cantonese-influenced term for 衬衫) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Cantonese-influenced term for 'shirt,' standard in Hong Kong usage where 衬衫 is preferred in Mandarin. Same item of clothing, different regional vocabulary.

noun

shirt (Cantonese-influenced term for 衬衫)

Measure word · 件

Examples

恤衫。
Tā chuān le yí jiàn bái sè xù shān.
He wore a white shirt.
恤衫。
Zhè jiàn xù shān de liào zi hěn shū fu.
The fabric of this shirt is very comfortable.
恤衫。
Wǒ zuó tiān zài diàn lǐ mǎi le liǎng jiàn xù shān.
I bought two shirts at the store yesterday.

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.

恤xùshirt (borrowed sound)

恤 gives the borrowed sound for shirt, and 衫 gives the native meaning of shirt; together they name the garment.

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.

忄血恤

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

血

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

恤 has 忄, the heart, on the left, and 血 on the right, which gives the sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

彡

彡shān衫shān

Same sound today

衫 uses 衣 to show it is a garment and 彡 to give the sound.

Appears in

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