辅音 (fǔ yīn) — consonant (linguistics)

Definition

A technical linguistics term for 'consonant' — a speech sound made with obstruction or narrowing of the vocal tract, as opposed to 元音 ('vowel').

noun

consonant (linguistics)

Measure word · 个

辅音？
Hàn yǔ lǐ yǒu duō shǎo gè fǔ yīn?
How many consonants are there in Chinese?
辅音。
Zhè ge dān cí yǐ fǔ yīn kāi tóu.
This word starts with a consonant.
辅音。
Fā zhè ge fǔ yīn shí yào yòng shé tou.
You need to use your tongue to pronounce this consonant.

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.

辅fǔauxiliary

辅 (auxiliary) and 音 (sound) combine to name a consonant.

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 輔; 辅 is its simplified writing.

車甫輔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

車車jū

Sound part声符shēngfú

甫

Same sound today

The traditional form 輔 pairs 車 (cart) with 甫 as a sound part; the simplified 辅 is a later abbreviation.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.