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皱纹 (zhòu wén) — wrinkle

Definition

皱纹 is the noun for a wrinkle (line on skin or paper), used with measure word 道. Its sibling 皱 is mainly the verb 'to wrinkle' and a shorter, more general noun form.

noun
wrinkle
Measure word · 道

Examples

  • 皱纹。
    Tā liǎn shàng de zhòu wén yuè lái yuè duō le.
    She has more and more wrinkles on her face.
  • 皱纹。
    Zhè kuǎn yǎn shuāng duì xiāo chú zhòu wén hěn yǒu xiào.
    This eye cream is very effective at removing wrinkles.
  • 皱纹，。
    Lǎo rén é tóu shàng de zhòu wén hěn shēn, xiàng dāo kè de yí yàng.
    The wrinkles on the old man's forehead are deep, as if carved by a knife.

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.

皱zhòucrease
纹wénline

皱 suggests creasing, and 纹 suggests lines, together meaning a line caused by creasing.

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 皺; 皱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
皮皮pí
Sound part声符shēngfú
芻
芻chú皺zhòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 皺 pairs 皮 (skin) with 芻 as a sound part; the simplified 皱 is a shorthand and its visible parts are not the historical ones.

Open 皱 →

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 紋; 纹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
文
文wén紋
Same sound today

The traditional form 紋 pairs 糸 (thread) with 文 as the sound part, giving the sense of a line of thread; this note is about 紋, not 纹.

Open 纹 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Body Parts

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