痕 (hén) — (bound form) mark, trace (used in compound words)
Definition
A bound morpheme meaning 'mark, trace' — almost never used alone; it appears in compounds like 痕迹 (hénjì, trace), 伤痕 (shānghén, scar), and 泪痕 (léihén, tear stain).
bound form
marktrace (used in compound words)
Examples
- 。Tā de liǎn shàng yǒu yí dào shāng hén.There is a scar on his face.
- 。Dì shàng yǒu qīng xī de hén jì.There are clear traces on the ground.
- 。Tā de yī fu shàng hái yǒu lèi hén.There are still tear stains on her clothes.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nè
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn痕hén
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
痕 pairs 疒 with 艮: 疒 gives the sense, and 艮 gives the sound.
Appears in
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