紫藤 (zǐ téng) — Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)

Definition

noun
Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 紫藤。
    Huā yuán lǐ zhǒng le yì kē zǐ téng.
    A wisteria was planted in the garden.
  • 紫藤，。
    Chūn tiān zǐ téng kāi huā, fēi cháng piào liang.
    In spring the wisteria blooms and is very beautiful.
  • 紫藤。
    Zhè zhū zǐ téng yǐ jīng cháng le shí nián le.
    This wisteria has been growing for ten years.

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.

紫zǐpurple
藤téngvine

紫 (purple) and 藤 (vine) name a purple-flowered vine.

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
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
此
此cǐ紫zǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

紫 is made of 糸, a silk-related part, and 此, which gives the sound cǐ.

Open 紫 →

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
滕
滕téng藤téng
Same sound today

藤 combines 艸 (grass) and 滕, which gives the sound, to write a type of plant.

Open 藤 →
Appears in
Plants & Flowers

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