钻戒 (zuàn jiè) — diamond ring

Definition

noun
diamond ring
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 钻戒
    Tā shǒu shàng dài zhe yì méi zuàn jiè.
    She is wearing a diamond ring on her hand.
  • 钻戒
    Tā sòng gěi tā yì méi zuàn jiè zuò wéi dìng hūn lǐ wù.
    He gave her a diamond ring as an engagement gift.
  • 钻戒
    Zhè méi zuàn jiè de zuàn shí fēi cháng dà.
    The diamond on this ring is very large.

Origin

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.

zuàndiamond

A 戒, ring, made of 钻, diamond, names a diamond ring.

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 鑽; 钻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full asjīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
zànzuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鑽 pairs 釒 (metal) with 贊, which gives the sound; the simplified 钻 is a later shorthand.

Open 钻 →

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

  • halberd
  • gǒnghands

戒 shows 廾 (hands) and 戈 (a halberd) together: hands holding up a weapon as a warning.

Open 戒 →

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