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清真寺 (qīng zhēn sì) — mosque

Definition

noun
mosque
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 清真寺。
    Zhè zuò qīng zhēn sì yǐ jīng yǒu sān bǎi duō nián de lì shǐ le.
    This mosque has a history of over three hundred years.
  • ，清真寺。
    Měi zhōu wǔ xià wǔ, hěn duō mù sī lín dōu huì qù qīng zhēn sì zuò lǐ bài.
    Every Friday afternoon, many Muslims go to the mosque to pray.
  • 清真寺。
    Dǎo yóu dài wǒ men cān guān le yí zuò gǔ lǎo de qīng zhēn sì.
    The tour guide took us to visit an ancient mosque.

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.

清真Islamic
清qīngpure真zhēntrue
联合Coordinate
寺sìtemple

清 pure and 真 true form Islamic, and 寺 temple names the building, giving a mosque.

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 →

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
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

Open 真 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡳿
之zhī寺sì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 寺, the top comes from 之, a footprint pointing up, and the hand part 又 later changed shape; the original picture showed grasping or holding.

Open 寺 →
Appears in
Buildings & StructuresReligion & Belief

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