树皮 (shù pí) — bark (of a tree)

Definition

noun
bark (of a tree)
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 树皮
    Zhè kē shù de shù pí hěn cū.
    The bark of this tree is very thick.
  • 树皮
    Zhè gēn shù pí kě yǐ yòng lái zuò shéng zi.
    This piece of bark can be used to make rope.
  • 树皮
    Yǒu xiē shù pí yán sè hěn tè bié.
    Some tree barks have very special colors.

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.

skin

“树” and “皮” combine to mean the outer skin of a tree.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樹; 树 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
tree
Sound part声符shēngfú
shùshù
Same sound today

Originally 尌, 'to plant a tree', was written alone; the traditional form 樹 adds 木, 'tree', to it to differentiate.

Open 树 →

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

皮 shows a hand pulling fur off an animal pelt, with the pelt drawn at the upper left.

Open 皮 →
Appears in

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