金丝雀 (jīn sī què) — canary | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

canary

Measure word · 只

金丝雀，。
Tā yǎng le yì zhī jīn sī què, měi tiān dōu huì chàng gē.
She keeps a canary that sings every day.
金丝雀，。
Zhè zhǒng jīn sī què de yǔ máo shì huáng sè de, fēi cháng hǎo kàn.
This kind of canary has yellow feathers and looks very beautiful.
，金丝雀。
Zài méi kuàng lǐ, jīn sī què céng jīng bèi yòng lái jiǎn cè yǒu dú qì tǐ.
In coal mines, canaries were once used to detect toxic gases.

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.

金丝gold thread

偏正Modifier + head

金 means gold, 丝 means thread, 雀 means bird, suggesting a bird with golden thread-like color.

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.

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絲; 丝 is its simplified writing.

糸糸絲

In the traditional form 絲, the shape is two 糸 written together; this is about 絲, not the simplified 丝.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

小隹雀

雀 combines 小 (small) and 隹 (bird), showing a small bird, a sparrow.

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