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阿姆斯特丹 (A mǔ sī tè dān) — Amsterdam

Definition

noun
Amsterdam

Examples

  • 阿姆斯特丹。
    Wǒ míng nián xiǎng qù A mǔ sī tè dān lǚ yóu.
    I want to travel to Amsterdam next year.
  • 阿姆斯特丹。
    A mǔ sī tè dān Shì hé lán de shǒu dū.
    Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands.
  • 阿姆斯特丹。
    Tā zài A mǔ sī tè dān de yì jiā bó wù guǎn gōng zuò.
    He works at a museum in Amsterdam.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě阿ā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The part 阜 points to a mound, and 可 gives the pronunciation; 阿 originally meant a big mound.

Open 阿 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚfemale
Sound part声符shēngfú
母
母mǔ姆
Same sound today

姆 pairs 女 (female) on the left with 母 on the right, and 母 gives the sound.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 斯 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
牛牛niúox
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì特tè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

Open 特 →

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

The shape 丹 shows a well or mine with red cinnabar inside.

Open 丹 →
Appears in
City & Urban

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