沙发椅 (shā fā yǐ) — armchair, sofa chair

Definition

noun

armchairsofa chair

Measure word · 把

沙发椅。
Tā zuò zài shā fā yǐ shàng kàn shū.
He sat in the armchair reading a book.
沙发椅，。
Zhè zhāng shā fā yǐ hěn shū fu, shì hé xiū xi.
This armchair is very comfortable, suitable for resting.
沙发椅。
Kè tīng lǐ fàng le yì zhāng xīn shā fā yǐ.
A new armchair was placed in the living room.

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.

沙发sofa

音译Transliteration

沙发 means sofa, and 椅 means chair; together they name a chair like a sofa.

Characters in this word

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

沙 puts 少 (dots) beside 水 (water), showing sand on a shoreline.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

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

木奇椅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

奇

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

椅 combines 木 (wood) with 奇, which gives its sound.