猪肝 (zhū gān) — pork liver

Definition

noun
pork liver
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 猪肝。
    Jīn tiān wǎn fàn wǒ chǎo le yì pán zhū gān.
    I stir-fried a plate of pork liver for dinner tonight.
  • 猪肝A。
    zhū gān Hán yǒu fēng fù de tiě hé wéi shēng sù A.
    Pork liver is rich in iron and vitamin A.
  • 猪肝。
    Wǒ qù cài shì chǎng mǎi le bàn jīn zhū gān.
    I went to the market and bought half a jin of pork liver.

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.

猪zhūpig
肝gānliver

The 肝 of a 猪; pork liver.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě猪zhū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

猪 combines 犭, a dog sign, with 者 as a sound part.

Open 猪 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròuflesh; body part
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān肝gān
Same sound today

The left part ⺼ shows flesh or a body part, while the right part 干 gives the sound. Together they form 肝.

Open 肝 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.