松枝 (sōng zhī) — pine branch

Definition

noun
pine branch
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 松枝
    Dì shàng yǒu hěn duō diào luò de sōng zhī.
    There are many fallen pine branches on the ground.
  • 松枝
    Tā yòng sōng zhī zuò le yí gè xiǎo zhuāng shì.
    He made a small decoration out of pine branches.
  • 松枝
    Dōng tiān de shù shàng hái néng kàn dào lǜ sè de sōng zhī.
    In winter, you can still see green pine branches on the trees.

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.

zhībranch

松 pine specifies 枝 branch, yielding a pine branch.

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
wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
gōngsōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

松 uses 木 (wood) to show it is a tree, and 公 to give the sound.

Open 松 →

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
tree
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhīzhī
Same sound today

枝 shows 木 (tree) beside 支, which gives the sound.

Open 枝 →
Appears in

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