虹 (hóng) — rainbow
Definition
noun
rainbow
Measure word · 道
Easily confused
- 红hónglook-alikered (color)
- 洪hóngsound-alike(bound form) flood (as in 洪水, 洪灾)
- 扛kánglook-aliketo lift (a heavy object) with both hands, often over one's shoulder
- 宏hóngsound-alike(noun) macro (in computing)
- 杠gānglook-alike(bound form) bar, stick, rod (as in 杠杆 lever, 双杠 parallel bars, 单杠 horizontal bar)
- 鸿hóngsound-alikeswan goose (a large migratory bird, used in compounds)
Examples
- 虹。Yǔ hòu tiān kōng chū xiàn le yí dào hóng.A rainbow appeared in the sky after the rain.
- 虹。Hái zi men kàn dào hóng shí tè bié xīng fèn.The children were especially excited when they saw the rainbow.
- 虹？Nǐ néng shù chū hóng yǒu jǐ zhǒng yán sè ma?Can you count how many colors a rainbow has?
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.
The earliest form drew a two-headed dragon; later 虹 used 虫 (creature) to show it was a creature and 工 for sound.
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