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罂粟 (yīng sù) — opium poppy

Definition

noun
opium poppy
Measure word · 株

Examples

  • 罂粟。
    Zhè zhǒng yīng sù de huā fēi cháng xiān yàn.
    The flowers of this poppy are very bright.
  • 罂粟。
    yīng sù De zhǒng zi kě yǐ yòng lái zhì zuò miàn bāo.
    Poppy seeds can be used to make bread.
  • 罂粟。
    Nóng mín zài tián lǐ zhòng zhí le yīng sù.
    The farmer planted poppies in the field.

Origin

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 罌; 罂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
缶缶fǒupottery
Sound part声符shēngfú
賏
賏yīng罌yīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 罌 pairs 缶, a pottery jar, with 賏, which gives the sound; the simplified 罂 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
角
角jiǎo粟sù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

粟 shows 米 (rice) together with 角, which gave the sound. In ancient use it meant rice kernels with husk, while 米 meant rice without husk.

Open 粟 →
Appears in
Plants & Flowers

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