脚链 (jiǎo liàn) — ankle bracelet | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

ankle bracelet

Measure word · 条

Easily confused

脚链。
Tā dài le yì tiáo piào liang de jiǎo liàn.
She wore a beautiful ankle bracelet.
脚链。
Zhè tiáo jiǎo liàn shì yòng yín zuò de.
This ankle bracelet is made of silver.
脚链。
Wǒ zài shāng diàn lǐ kàn dào hěn duō zhǒng jiǎo liàn.
I saw many kinds of ankle bracelets in the store.

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.

脚 means foot and 链 means chain, describing a chain worn around the foot.

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 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body

Sound part声符shēngfú

卻

卻què腳jiǎo

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

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.

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 鏈; 链 is its simplified writing.

金連鏈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

連

連lián鏈liàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 鏈 pairs 金 (metal) with 連, which gives the sound; the simplified 链 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical parts.