摇椅 (yáo yī) — rocking chair | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

rocking chair

Measure word · 把

Examples

摇椅。
Yé ye zuò zài yáo yī shàng kàn bào zhǐ.
Grandpa sits in the rocking chair reading the newspaper.
摇椅。
Wǒ jiā de yáo yī shì mù zhì de.
Our rocking chair is made of wood.
摇椅。
Tā mǎi le yì bǎ piào liang de yáo yī.
She bought a beautiful rocking chair.

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.

摇 describes the way the 椅 moves, giving a chair that rocks back and forth.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木奇椅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

奇

奇qí椅yǐ

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

椅 combines 木 (wood) with 奇, which gives its sound.

Appears in

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