薇 (wēi) — a species of fern (Osmunda regalis)
Definition
薇 (wēi) is a bound-form character meaning a type of fern (royal fern); it almost always appears in compounds like 蔷薇 (rose) or 紫薇 (crape myrtle), never standing alone.
bound form
a species of fern (Osmunda regalis)
Easily confused
- 微wēilook-alikeslightly; a little bit
- 威wēisound-alikebound form meaning power, might, authority
- 危wēisound-alike(bound form) danger; dangerous; to endanger (used in compounds like 危险, 危机, 危害)
- 委wēisound-alike(bound form) to entrust, to appoint (as in 委托, 委派)
- 萎wēisound-alikewither, shrivel, atrophy (bound morpheme used in compounds)
- 偎wēisound-aliketo cuddle (affectionately)
Examples
- 薇。Zhè zhǒng wēi shēng zhǎng zài cháo shī de sēn lín lǐ.This type of fern grows in damp forests.
- 薇。Zǐ wēi shì zhōng guó cháng jiàn de guān shǎng zhí wù.Crape myrtle is a common ornamental plant in China.
- 。Qiáng wēi kāi chū le měi lì de huā.The rose bloomed beautiful flowers.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
艸艸cǎograss; plant
The shape of 薇 combines 艸 (grass; plant) with 微, which gives its sound.
Appears in
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