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指环 (zhǐ huán) — (finger) ring

Definition

noun
(finger) ring
Measure word · 枚

Examples

  • 指环。
    Tā shǒu shàng dài le yí gè zhǐ huán.
    She is wearing a ring on her hand.
  • 指环。
    Zhè ge zhǐ huán shì yín de.
    This ring is silver.
  • 指环。
    Wǒ mǎi le yí duì jié hūn zhǐ huán.
    I bought a pair of wedding rings.

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.

指zhǐfinger
环huánring

指 means finger and 环 means ring, together naming a ring worn on a finger.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 環; 环 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng環huán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 環 pairs 玉 (jade) with a sound part; the simplified 环 is a shorthand and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 环 →
Appears in
Footwear & Accessories

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