残骸 (cán hái) — wreckage (of a vehicle, plane, ship, etc.); rem…

Definition

noun

wreckage (of a vehicle, plane, ship, etc.)remainsbones (of a dead person or animal)

Measure word · 具

残骸。
Sōu jiù duì zài shān shàng fā xiàn le fēi jī cán hái.
The rescue team found the plane wreckage on the mountain.
，残骸。
Huǒ zāi guò hòu, jiàn zhù zhī shèng xià yì duī cán hái.
After the fire, only a pile of wreckage remained from the building.
残骸。
Kǎo gǔ xué jiā wā jué chū le gǔ dài dòng wù de cán hái.
Archaeologists excavated the remains of ancient animals.

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.

残cándamaged/remnant

骸háibones/remains

“残” gives damaged or leftover, while “骸” refers to bones or remains, together meaning wreckage or remains.

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 殘; 残 is its simplified writing.

歹戔殘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

歹歹dǎivicious, bones

Sound part声符shēngfú

戔

戔jiān殘cán

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

The traditional form 殘 pairs 歹, a bone shape for injury, with 戔 for its sound; the simplified 残 is a later shorthand.

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

骨亥骸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

骨骨gǔbone

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

Same sound today

骸 pairs 骨, which shows the meaning is about bones, with 亥, which gives the sound.

Appears in