石子路 (shí zǐ lù) — gravel road; macadam road

Definition

noun

gravel roadmacadam road

Measure word · 条

石子路。
Zhè tiáo shí zǐ lù hěn zhǎi.
This gravel road is very narrow.
，石子路。
Xià yǔ hòu, shí zǐ lù biàn de hěn huá.
After the rain, the gravel road becomes very slippery.
石子路，。
Tā men zǒu zài shí zǐ lù shang, tīng zhe jiǎo xià shā shā de shēng yīn.
They walked on the gravel road, listening to the rustling sound under their feet.

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.

石子gravel

石shístone子zǐsmall thing

偏正Modifier + head

石子 means small stones or gravel, and 路 is the road they cover.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

各

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

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.