手纸 (shǒu zhǐ) — toilet paper | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally "hand paper" — an older or regional term for toilet paper, most common in northern Chinese. The neutral everyday word in standard Mandarin is 卫生纸.

noun

toilet paper

Measure word · 卷

Examples

手纸。
Wǒ qù chāo shì mǎi le jǐ juàn shǒu zhǐ.
I went to the supermarket and bought a few rolls of toilet paper.
手纸，。
Wèi shēng jiān lǐ de shǒu zhǐ yòng wán le, jì de qù ná yí juàn.
The toilet paper in the bathroom is used up, remember to get a roll.
手纸，。
Zhè zhǒng shǒu zhǐ zhì liàng hěn hǎo, bù róng yì pò.
This kind of toilet paper is of good quality and doesn't tear easily.

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.

The hand 手 and paper 纸 combine for paper used by hand, now toilet paper.

Characters in this word

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

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

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 紙; 纸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

氏

氏shì紙zhǐ

Same sound today

For 纸, the traditional form 紙 combines 糸 (silk) with 氏 (the sound part).

Appears in

Hygiene & Grooming Toiletries & Cosmetics

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