果核 (guǒ hé) — fruit stone, pit, kernel (the hard central part…

Definition

noun

fruit stonepitkernel (the hard central part of a fruit containing the seed)

Measure word · 颗

，果核。
Chī táo zi de shí hou yào xiǎo xīn, bié bǎ guǒ hé tūn xià qù.
Be careful when eating peaches — don't swallow the pit.
果核。
Tā bǎ xìng zi de guǒ hé zhǒng zài le yuàn zi lǐ.
He planted the apricot stone in the yard.
果核，。
Zhè zhǒng shuǐ guǒ de guǒ hé hěn dà, guǒ ròu què hěn shǎo.
This kind of fruit has a large pit but very little flesh.

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.

“果” (fruit) and “核” (hard central part) together denote the pit of a fruit.

Characters in this word

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

果 originally drew fruits hanging on a tree.

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

木亥核

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

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

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.