殿 (diàn) — hall (in a palace or temple); rear part (of a building or formation)
Definition
noun
hall (in a palace or temple)rear part (of a building or formation)
Measure word · 座
Easily confused
- 臀túnlook-alikebuttocks; hips; rump
- 店diànsound-alikeshop; store
- 电diànsound-alike(noun) electricity; electric power
- 垫diànsound-alike(verb) to pad, to put something under
- 甸diànsound-alike(classifier, historical) a land area unit in ancient China, consisting of 64 well-fields (井)
- 惦diànsound-aliketo be concerned about; to worry about; to keep thinking about (with affection or anxiety)
Examples
- 殿。Zhè zuò diàn shì huáng dì bàn gōng de dì fāng.This hall is where the emperor worked.
- 。Sì miào de dà diàn lǐ yǒu hěn duō fó xiàng.The main hall of the temple has many Buddha statues.
- 。Jūn duì de diàn hòu fù zé yǎn hù chè tuì.The army's rear guard is responsible for covering the retreat.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
殳殳shūhand holding a weapon
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡱂
臀tún殿⁰diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
殿 pairs 𡱂 (buttocks, giving the sound) with 殳 (a hand holding a weapon) to show hitting the buttocks.
Appears in
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