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读者 (dú zhě) — reader

Definition

读者 means 'reader' — someone who reads written work like books, magazines, or online articles. Unlike 听众 ('audience/listeners' for audio, video, or speech), 读者 specifically reads text.

noun
reader
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 读者。
    Zhè běn zá zhì yǒu hěn duō dú zhě.
    This magazine has many readers.
  • 读者。
    Wǒ měi tiān dōu huì dú dú zhě xiě de wén zhāng.
    I read the articles written by readers every day.
  • 读者。
    dú zhě Gěi zuò zhě liú yán shuō hěn xǐ huan zhè běn shū.
    Readers left a message for the author saying they really like this book.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

读dúread
者zhěperson who

读 means read, 者 marks a person who does it, so together they mean reader.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 讀; 读 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánto say
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧶠
𧶠𧶠讀dú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 讀 is made of 言 ('to say') and 𧶠 (giving the sound); this description is about 讀, not 读.

Open 读 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 者 originally drew a sugarcane with full stems, small points around it, and an open smiling mouth at the bottom.

Open 者 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Reading & Writing

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