镜 (jìng) — mirror (as in 镜子); lens (as in 镜头, 眼镜); glass (as in 镜片)
Definition
镜 is a bound noun meaning 'mirror / lens / glass' that only appears inside compounds — never on its own. The full standalone word is 镜子; here it combines with 子, 头, 片, or 眼.
bound form
mirror (as in 镜子)lens (as in 镜头, 眼镜)glass (as in 镜片)
Examples
- 。Zhè miàn jìng zi hěn gān jìng.This mirror is very clean.
- 。Wǒ dài le yí fù xīn yǎn jìng.I put on a new pair of glasses.
- 。Tā yòng jìng tóu pāi le hěn duō zhào piàn.He took many photos with the lens.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 鏡; 镜 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 鏡 puts 金, metal, next to 竟 to give the sound. The simplified 镜 is a later shorthand.
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