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棕色 (zōng sè) — brown

Definition

noun
brown

Examples

  • 棕色。
    Zhè zhī māo shì zōng sè de.
    This cat is brown.
  • 棕色。
    zōng sè Shì wǒ de zuì xǐ huan de yán sè.
    Brown is my favorite color.
  • 棕色。
    Wǒ xiǎng yào yì shuāng zōng sè de xié.
    I want a pair of brown shoes.

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.

棕zōngbrown
色sècolor

The color word pairs 棕, the brown color, with 色, color.

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mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
㚇
㚇㚇棕zōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

棕 is built from 木 (wood) and 宗, which gives the sound.

Open 棕 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.

Open 色 →
Appears in
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