纸人 (zhǐ rén) — paper figure (often used in traditional rituals or as a craft)

Definition

A paper figure — either a folk-art / craft object folded or shaped from paper, or a paper effigy burned in traditional rituals (e.g. on an altar).

noun
paper figure (often used in traditional rituals or as a craft)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 纸人。
    Tā zuò le yí gè zhǐ rén fàng zài jì tán shàng.
    He made a paper figure and placed it on the altar.
  • 纸人。
    Zhè xiē zhǐ rén shì mín jiān yì shù de yí bù fen.
    These paper figures are part of folk art.
  • 纸人。
    Nǎi nai yòng zhǐ zhé le yí gè zhǐ rén gěi wǒ wán.
    Grandma folded a paper figure for me to play with.

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.

纸zhǐpaper
人rénfigure

'纸' gives paper and '人' gives person or figure, together naming a paper human figure.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 紙; 纸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
氏
氏shì紙zhǐ
Same sound today

For 纸, the traditional form 紙 combines 糸 (silk) with 氏 (the sound part).

Open 纸 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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