水族馆 (shuǐ zú guǎn) — aquarium | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

aquarium

Measure word · 个

Examples

水族馆。
Zhōu mò wǒ men qù shuǐ zú guǎn kàn hǎi tún biǎo yǎn.
We go to the aquarium to watch the dolphin show on weekends.
水族馆。
Zhè ge shuǐ zú guǎn yǒu sān qiān duō zhǒng hǎi yáng shēng wù.
This aquarium has over three thousand kinds of marine life.
水族馆。
Hái zi zuì xǐ huan qù shuǐ zú guǎn kàn shuǐ mǔ.
Children love going to the aquarium to see jellyfish the most.

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.

水族aquatic creatures

水shuǐwater族zúgroup

偏正Modifier + head

"水族" (aquatic creatures) and "馆" (hall) form a hall for aquatic creatures.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

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

㫃㫃㫃flag
矢矢shǐarrow

族 combines 㫃, a flag, and 矢, an arrow.

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 館; 馆 is its simplified writing.

飠官館

Meaning part形符xíngfú

飠Written in full as食shí

Sound part声符shēngfú

官

官guān館guǎn

Same sound today

The traditional form 館 is made of 食, written as 飠 on the left, and 官 on the right; 官 provides the sound. The simplified 馆 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Fish & Aquatic Life

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