长笛 (cháng dí) — flute | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

flute

Measure word · 支

长笛，。
Tā cóng xiǎo xué xí cháng dí, xiàn zài yǐ jīng kǎo guò shí jí le.
She has been learning the flute since childhood and has already passed level ten.
长笛。
Tā zài yīn yuè huì zhōng yòng cháng dí yǎn zòu le yì shǒu gǔ diǎn yuè qǔ.
He played a classical piece on the flute at the concert.
长笛。
Zhè zhī cháng dí de yīn sè fēi cháng yōu měi.
The timbre of this flute is very beautiful.

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.

长 gives the length, and 笛 names the pipe instrument; together it is a long flute.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

竹由笛

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

笛 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 由 as a sound part. The bamboo part shows the object is made of bamboo.

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