者 (zhě) — (suffix) one who (is/does); -er; -ist; person involved in
Definition
A written/nominalizing suffix meaning 'one who…' or '…-er', usually following a verb or noun to name a type of person (读者, 患者). Unlike 家, 者 is more formal and ties a person to an action or state rather than a field of expertise.
suffix
one who (is/does)-er-istperson involved in
Examples
- 。Zhè běn shū de zuò zhě hěn yǒu míng.The author of this book is very famous.
- 。Tā shì zhè běn zá zhì de dú zhě.He is a reader of this magazine.
- 。Yī yuàn lǐ de huàn zhě zhèng zài jiē shòu zhì liáo.The patients in the hospital are receiving treatment.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
The form 者 originally drew a sugarcane with full stems, small points around it, and an open smiling mouth at the bottom.
Grammar
Appears in
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