琴声 (qín shēng) — sound of a stringed instrument (zither, piano,…

Definition

noun

sound of a stringed instrument (zither, piano, etc.)

琴声。
Cóng yuǎn chù chuán lái de qín shēng fēi cháng yōu měi.
The sound of the instrument coming from afar was very beautiful.
琴声。
Tā xǐ huan zài yè wǎn jìng jìng de tīng qín shēng.
He likes to listen quietly to the sound of the instrument at night.
琴声。
Nà yōu yáng de qín shēng ràng rén táo zuì.
That melodious sound of the instrument was intoxicating.

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.

琴qínstringed instrument

琴 names a stringed instrument and 声 names sound, denoting the sound made by such an instrument.

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

珡珡qín

Sound part声符shēngfú

今

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

琴 pairs 珡, the part tied to its sense as a stringed instrument, with 今, which gives the sound.

Most 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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

殸耳聲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

殸

殸qìng聲shēng

Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.