色拉 (sè lā) — salad

Definition

noun
salad
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 色拉。
    Wǒ yào yí fèn shū cài sè lā.
    I'd like a vegetable salad.
  • 色拉。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de sè lā hěn xīn xiān.
    The salad at this restaurant is very fresh.
  • 色拉。
    Nǐ kě yǐ zài sè lā lǐ jiā yì xiē shuǐ guǒ.
    You can add some fruit to the salad.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.

Open 色 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →
Appears in
Food (General)

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