檀香 (tán xiāng) — sandalwood (Santalum album, white/Indian sandalwood)

Definition

noun
sandalwood (Santalum album, white/Indian sandalwood)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 檀香。
    Zhè kuài mù tou shì tán xiāng zuò de.
    This piece of wood is made of sandalwood.
  • 檀香。
    tán xiāng Yǒu yì zhǒng tè bié de xiāng wèi.
    Sandalwood has a special fragrance.
  • 檀香。
    Tā mǎi le yí gè tán xiāng shǒu chuàn.
    He bought a sandalwood bracelet.

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.

檀tánsandalwood
香xiāngfragrance

檀 gives sandalwood, and 香 gives fragrance, naming the fragrant sandalwood.

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
亶
亶dǎn檀tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

檀 combines 木, tree or wood, with 亶, which points to its sound.

Open 檀 →

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

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Open 香 →

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