江 (jiāng) — river

Definition

Examples

  • 江。
    Zhè tiáo jiāng hěn cháng.
    This river is very long.
  • 江。
    jiāng Lǐ yǒu yú.
    There are fish in the river.
  • 江。
    Wǒ men zuò chuán guò jiāng.
    We cross the river by boat.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng江jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

江 puts 氵, the water side, beside 工, which gives a sound; the water part points to its river meaning.

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