绿叶 (lǜ yè) — green leaves | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

green leaves

Measure word · 片

绿叶。
Chūn tiān de shù shàng zhǎng mǎn le nèn lǜ de lǜ yè.
The trees are full of tender green leaves in spring.
绿叶。
Tā xǐ huan shōu jí gè zhǒng xíng zhuàng de lǜ yè.
He likes to collect green leaves of various shapes.
，绿叶。
Yǔ hòu, lǜ yè shàng de shuǐ zhū jīng yíng tī tòu.
After the rain, the water droplets on the green leaves are crystal clear.

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.

'绿' as green and '叶' as leaf combine to mean green leaves.

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 綠; 绿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

彔

彔lù綠lù

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

The traditional form 綠 uses 糸 to show silk and 彔 for sound; the simplified 绿 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

口十叶

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

十

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

The form 叶 pairs 口 (mouth) with 十 (ten) as an old form meaning cooperate; it later came to mean leaf because it sounded similar.

Appears in