柳条 (liǔ tiáo) — willow twig, willow branch; stripe, line (in cloth, etc.)

Definition

Literally 'willow twig/branch' (柳 + 条). The 'stripe' sense is figurative — 条 on its own means 'strip', extended here to stripes or lines in cloth.

noun
willow twigwillow branchstripeline (in cloth, etc.)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 柳条。
    Tā yòng liǔ tiáo biān le yí gè lán zi.
    He wove a basket out of willow twigs.
  • ，柳条。
    Chūn fēng yì chuī, liǔ tiáo jiù qīng qīng bǎi dòng.
    When the spring wind blows, the willow branches sway gently.
  • 柳条。
    Zhè jiàn chèn shān shàng yǒu lán sè de liǔ tiáo.
    This shirt has blue stripes on it.

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.

柳liǔwillow
条tiáostrip; twig

柳 names the willow, and 条 is a long slender piece, so a willow twig.

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mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
卯
卯mǎo柳liǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The willow character 柳 pairs 木, tree, with 卯, which gives its sound.

Open 柳 →

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 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →

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