硬壳 (yìng ké) — (zoology) hard shell; (geology) duricrust, hard…

Definition

noun

(zoology) hard shell(geology) duricrusthard crust

硬壳。
Wū guī de yìng ké fēi cháng jiān gù.
The turtle's shell is very sturdy.
硬壳。
Dì zhì xué jiā yán jiū zhè zhǒng yìng ké de chéng yīn.
Geologists study how this type of duricrust forms.
硬壳。
Páng xiè de yìng ké kě yǐ bǎo hù tā de shēn tǐ.
The crab's hard shell protects its body.

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.

硬 (hard) and 壳 (shell) together name a tough outer covering.

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.

石更硬

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

更

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

硬 is built from 石, meaning stone, to show hardness or stiffness, and 更, which gives the sound.

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 殼; 壳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

㱿

㱿㱿殼ké(r)

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

The traditional form 殼 is built from 几 (the meaning part) and 㱿 (the sound part); the simplified 壳 is a later shorthand.