森 (sēn) — forest (bound morpheme, used in compounds)
Definition
森 is a bound morpheme (never used alone) meaning 'forest' — it only appears in compounds like 森林. The full word 森林 is the everyday standalone term; 森 on its own is essentially a shortened literary form used in set phrases such as 阴森.
bound form
forest (bound morpheme, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Zhè piàn sēn lín hěn dà.This forest is very large.
- 。Nà piàn sēn lín hěn mào mì.That forest is very dense.
- 。Nà zuò sēn lín bèi bǎo hù dé hěn hǎo.That forest is well protected.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
The form 森 stacks three tree-like shapes to show many trees in a forest.
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