短语 (duǎn yǔ) — phrase (linguistics) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

phrase (linguistics)

，短语。
Zài hàn yǔ xué xí zhōng, zhǎng wò cháng yòng duǎn yǔ hěn zhòng yào.
In studying Chinese, it's very important to master common phrases.
短语？
Zhè ge duǎn yǔ de yì si shì shén me?
What does this phrase mean?
短语。
Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men yòng zhè ge duǎn yǔ zào jù.
The teacher asked us to make a sentence using this phrase.

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.

语yǔlanguage/speech

短 means 'short' and 语 means 'language/speech', forming the technical name for a brief unit of language.

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.

矢豆短

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

豆dòu短duǎn

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

短 is built from 矢 and 豆. 豆 is used for its sound, while 矢 is the component linked to the meaning.

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 語; 语 is its simplified writing.

言吾語

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

吾

Same sound today

The form 語 pairs 言 (speech) with 吾, which gives the sound; this note is about 語, not 语.

Appears in