硕 (shuò) — (bound form) very large, great; (bound form) master's degree
Definition
硕 is a bound morpheme meaning 'large/great' or used in academic degree terms like 硕士 (master's). It almost never stands alone — pair it with 士, 大, 果, etc.
bound form
very largegreatmaster's degree
Examples
- 。Tā zài dú shuò shì.He is studying for a master's degree.
- 。Nà ge xī guā fēi cháng shuò dà.That watermelon is extremely large.
- 。Zhè ge shuò guǒ lái zhī bú yì.This great achievement did not come easily.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 碩; 硕 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí碩shuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 碩 puts 石 beside 頁: 石 gives the sound, and 頁 is the meaning part; the simplified 硕 is a shorthand.
Appears in
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