秋季 (qiū jì) — autumn; fall (season)

Definition

noun
autumnfall (season)

Examples

  • 秋季
    qiū jì Lái lín de shí hou, shù yè dōu biàn huáng le.
    When autumn comes, the leaves all turn yellow.
  • 秋季
    Wǒ zuì xǐ huan qiū jì, yīn wèi tiān qì bù lěng bú rè.
    I like autumn best because the weather is neither cold nor hot.
  • 秋季
    qiū jì Shì shōu huò de jì jié, nóng mín men dōu hěn máng.
    Autumn is the harvest season; farmers are very busy.

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.

qiūautumn
season

秋 is autumn, and 季 is a season, giving the autumn season.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤒅
𤒅𤒅qiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 秋 pairs 禾 (grain) with 𤒅, which gives the sound.

Open 秋 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

季 is formed by placing 禾 above 子.

Open 季 →

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