注脚 (zhù jiǎo) — footnote | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

footnote

注脚。
Zhè piān lùn wén de zhù jiǎo xiě dé hěn xiáng xì.
The footnotes of this paper are very detailed.
注脚。
Dú zhě kě yǐ cān kǎo shū zhōng de zhù jiǎo lái chá zhǎo gèng duō zī liào.
Readers can refer to the footnotes in the book to find more materials.
注脚。
Zuò zhě zài zhù jiǎo lǐ bǔ chōng le zhòng yào de bèi jǐng xìn xī.
The author added important background information in the footnotes.

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.

注zhùannotation

“注” is an annotation and “脚” is the foot of a page, so the image is an annotation at the foot.

Characters in this word

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

主

Same sound today

注 combines 水, meaning water, with 主, which gives the sound.

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 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body

Sound part声符shēngfú

卻

卻què腳jiǎo

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

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.