碎片 (suì piàn) — fragment, splinter, shred | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

fragmentsplintershred

Measure word · 片

Examples

碎片。
Dì shàng yǒu hěn duō bō li suì piàn.
There are many glass fragments on the floor.
碎片。
Tā bǎ zhào piàn sī chéng le suì piàn.
He tore the photo into shreds.
碎片？
Diàn nǎo lǐ de suì piàn huì yǐng xiǎng sù dù ma?
Will fragments in the computer affect speed?

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.

A broken piece gives the sense of a fragment.

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.

石卒碎

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

卒

卒zú碎suì

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

碎 pairs 石 (stone) with 卒, which gives the sound; the stone part is tied to the sense of breaking or smashing.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

Miscellaneous Objects 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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