美国式 (měi guó shì) — American style, American type

Definition

adjective
American styleAmerican type

Examples

  • 美国式,。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng shì měi guó shì de, mài hàn bǎo hé shǔ tiáo.
    This restaurant is American-style, selling burgers and fries.
  • 美国式。
    měi guó shì Mín zhǔ zhì dù zài zhōng guó de yǔ jìng zhōng yǒu suǒ bù tóng.
    The American-style democratic system is different in the Chinese context.
  • 美国式,。
    Tā xǐ huan měi guó shì de shēng huó fāng shì, měi tiān hē kā fēi.
    He likes the American style of living, drinking coffee every day.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

美国America
美měiAmerican国guócountry
偏正Modifier + head
式shìstyle

美国 points to America, and 式 contributes the sense of style or type.

Characters in this word

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

美 shows 大, a person, wearing 羊, a headdress of feathers or ram's horn.

Open 美 →

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì式shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

式 pairs 工, meaning work, with 弋, which gives the sound.

Open 式 →

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