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茶几 (chá jī) — tea table, side table

Definition

noun
tea tableside table
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 茶几。
    Kè tīng lǐ fàng zhe yì zhāng chá jī.
    There is a tea table in the living room.
  • 茶几。
    Tā bǎ bào zhǐ fàng zài chá jī shàng le.
    He put the newspaper on the tea table.
  • 茶几，。
    Zhè ge chá jī shì hóng mù zuò de, hěn piào liang.
    This tea table is made of rosewood and is very beautiful.

Origin

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.

茶chátea
几jǐsmall table

茶 names the drink it holds, and 几 is a small table.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú茶chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 茶, the 艹 part marks a plant, and the 余 part gives the sound.

Open 茶 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 幾; 几 is its simplified writing.

  • 𢆶𢆶𢆶silk threads; little things
  • 戍戍shùto guard against

The traditional form 幾 puts 𢆶 (silk threads; little things) and 戍 (to guard against) together to show watching over the fine details; the simplified 几 is a later abbreviation.

Open 几 →
Appears in
Furniture

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