果蝇 (guǒ yíng) — fruit fly | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

fruit fly

Measure word · 只

Examples

果蝇。
Zhè zhǒng guǒ yíng zài shí yàn shì lǐ hěn cháng jiàn.
This kind of fruit fly is very common in the lab.
果蝇。
Fǔ làn de shuǐ guǒ páng biān zǒng shì yǒu guǒ yíng fēi lái fēi qù.
There are always fruit flies flying around rotten fruit.
果蝇。
Kē xué jiā yòng guǒ yíng yán jiū yí chuán xué.
Scientists use fruit flies to study genetics.

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.

果 fruit and 蝇 fly combine to name a fly found on 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蠅; 蝇 is its simplified writing.

虫黽蠅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect

Sound part声符shēngfú

黽

黽mǐn蠅yíng

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

蝇 is the simplified form of 蠅, which pairs 虫 (insect) with 黽 as a sound part.

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