画卷 (huà juǎn) — picture scroll; scroll painting

Definition

noun

picture scrollscroll painting

Measure word · 幅

画卷。
Zhè fú huà juǎn miáo huì le chūn tiān de jǐng sè.
This scroll painting depicts the scenery of spring.
画卷。
Bó wù guǎn lǐ zhǎn chū le hěn duō gǔ dài huà juǎn.
The museum displayed many ancient scroll paintings.
画卷。
Tā shōu cáng le yì fú zhēn guì de shān shuǐ huà juǎn.
He collected a precious landscape scroll painting.

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.

画 is the picture and 卷 is a scroll, naming a scroll containing paintings.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 畫; 画 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

聿聿yùbrush

Sound part声符shēngfú

規

規guī畫huà

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

The traditional form 畫 pairs 聿, a brush, with 規 for its sound. The simplified 画 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the old parts.

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

卩卩jiékneeling person

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢍏

𢍏𢍏卷juàn

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

In 卷, 卩 shows a kneeling person, while 𢍏 gives the sound and may also suggest bending or rolling, as in a reel of books.