状 (zhuàng) — state, condition (in 状态, 状况); shape, form (in 形状, 形状); account, record, certificate (in 告状, 奖状, 诉状)
Definition
状 is a bound morpheme meaning 'state/form' that only appears inside compounds like 状态 (state), 形状 (shape), and 诉状 (formal complaint/petition). Don't try to use it alone.
bound form
statecondition (in 状态, 状况)shapeform (in 形状, 形状)accountrecordcertificate (in 告状, 奖状, 诉状)
Examples
- 。Tā zuì jìn de zhuàng kuàng bú tài hǎo.His recent condition is not very good.
- 。Zhè kuài shí tou de xíng zhuàng hěn tè bié.The shape of this rock is very special.
- ，。Tā yīn wèi bù mǎn pàn jué, xiàng fǎ yuàn dì le sù zhuàng.Dissatisfied with the verdict, he filed a complaint with the court.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 狀; 状 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán狀zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 狀 pairs 犬 (dog) with 爿 as a sound component; the simplified 状 is a shorthand, not the historical shape.
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