札记 (zhá jì) — reading notes, jottings

Definition

noun
reading notesjottings
Measure word · 篇

Examples

  • 札记。
    Tā měi tiān dōu huì xiě yì piān zhá jì.
    He writes a jotting every day.
  • 札记。
    Zhè běn zhá jì jì lù le tā duō nián de dú shū xīn dé.
    This notebook of jottings records his years of reading insights.
  • 札记，。
    Tā de zhá jì nèi róng fēi cháng fēng fù, zhí dé yì dú.
    His jottings are very rich in content and worth reading.

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.

札zháwriting slip
记jìrecord

札 (writing slip) and 记 (record) combine to mean brief written notes.

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
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
乚
乙yǐ札zhá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

札 is built from 木, showing wood, and 乚 (written as 乙), which gives its sound. The whole shape points to a thinly shaved wooden tag used for writing.

Open 札 →

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 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ記jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →

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