() — creek; rivulet

Definition

Examples

  • Zhè tiáo xī de shuǐ hěn liáng.
    The water in this creek is very cold.
  • Wǒ men zài xī lǐ zhuā dào le yú.
    We caught fish in the creek.
  • xī Biān yǒu jǐ kē dà shù.
    There are several big trees by the creek.

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
Written in full asshuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

The 氵 on the left shows the character is about water, and 奚 on the right gives its sound.

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