理查 (Lǐ chá) — Richard | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

Richard

理查。
Lǐ chá Shì wǒ de hǎo péng you.
Richard is my good friend.
理查。
Zuó tiān wǒ jiàn dào le Lǐ chá.
Yesterday I met Richard.
理查。
Lǐ chá Huì shuō zhōng wén hé yīng wén.
Richard can speak Chinese and English.

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

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

里

Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

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

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

且

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

查 pairs 木 (wood) with 且, which shows the sound. It originally meant a hawthorn tree or a wooden raft.

Appears in