清泉 (qīng quán) — clear spring, crystal-clear fountain

Definition

noun
clear springcrystal-clear fountain
Measure word · 眼

Examples

  • 清泉。
    Shān lǐ de qīng quán fēi cháng qīng chè.
    The clear springs in the mountains are very pure.
  • 清泉。
    Tā zài qīng quán biān hē le yì kǒu shuǐ.
    He took a sip of water by the clear spring.
  • 清泉。
    Zhè piàn sēn lín lǐ yǒu yí chù qīng quán.
    There is a clear spring in this forest.

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.

清qīngclear
泉quánspring

清 describes the water's clarity, and 泉 is a spring, together a clear spring.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng清qīng
Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Open 清 →

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

泉 pairs 白 (spring mouth) with 水 (water) to show water flowing from the source of a spring.

Open 泉 →

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