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蜘蛛 (zhī zhū) — spider

Definition

noun
spider
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 蜘蛛。
    Qiáng jiǎo yǒu yì zhī zhī zhū.
    There is a spider in the corner of the wall.
  • 蜘蛛。
    zhī zhū Zài shù shàng zhī le yì zhāng hěn dà de wǎng.
    The spider spun a very large web in the tree.
  • 蜘蛛。
    Wǒ kàn dào zhī zhū de shí hou xià le yí tiào.
    I was startled when I saw the spider.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

蜘zhī
蛛zhū

The characters carry no meaning of their own here; 蜘蛛 is a single word for spider.

Sound-only characters

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
虫虫chónginsect; insect-like creature
Sound part声符shēngfú
知
知zhī蜘
Same sound today

蜘 uses 虫 for an insect-like creature and 知 for its sound.

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
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
朱
朱zhū蛛zhū
Same sound today

蛛 pairs 虫 (insect) with 朱, which gives the sound; it grew from an older drawing of a spider.

Open 蛛 →
Appears in
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