水蛇 (shuǐ shé) — water snake (aquatic snake); Water Snake (30th…

Definition

水蛇 (shuǐshé) means 'water snake' — the literal aquatic snake — and also names the Water Snake year, a branch of the Chinese zodiac used in 本命年 talk.

noun

water snake (aquatic snake)Water Snake (30th year in the Chinese sexagenary cycle)

Measure word · 条

水蛇。
Zhè zhǒng shuǐ shé zhǔ yào shēng huó zài hé lǐ.
This kind of water snake mainly lives in rivers.
水蛇，。
Tā shǔ shuǐ shé, jīn nián shì tā de běn mìng nián.
He is born in the Water Snake year, this year is his zodiac year.
水蛇。
shuǐ shé Nián chū shēng de rén jù shuō hěn cōng ming.
People born in the Water Snake year are said to be very smart.

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 gives water and 蛇 gives snake, naming an aquatic snake or the Water Snake year.

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.

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

虫它蛇

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

它

它tā蛇shé

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

蛇 combines 虫 with 它; 它 gives the sound and was also the original form of this character.