桔梗 (jié gěng) — balloon flower, Chinese bellflower (Platycodon…

Definition

noun

balloon flowerChinese bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorus)

Measure word · 棵

桔梗，。
Tíng yuàn lǐ zhǒng le hěn duō jié gěng, qiū tiān kāi zǐ sè de huā.
We planted a lot of balloon flowers in the yard; they bloom purple in autumn.
桔梗，。
jié gěng De gēn kě yǐ rù yào, yǒu zhǐ ké huà tán de gōng xiào.
The root of the Chinese bellflower can be used as medicine; it has the effect of relieving cough and clearing phlegm.
桔梗，。
Tā xǐ huan yòng jié gěng lái zhuāng shì fáng jiān, yīn wèi tā de huā xíng hěn kě ài.
She likes to use balloon flowers to decorate the room because their shape is very cute.

Single-morpheme word

构词法gòucífǎ

联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

The characters 桔 and 梗 do not carry separate meanings here; together they name the bellflower plant.

Sound-only characters

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

木吉桔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

吉

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

桔 is built from 木, meaning wood, and 吉, which supplies the sound.

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

木更梗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

更

更gèng梗gěng(r)

Same sound today

梗 has 木 on the left and 更 on the right. The 木 side shows it was a type of plant, while 更 gives the sound.