阿富汗人 (ā fù hàn rén) — Afghan (person); Afghan people

Definition

noun
Afghan (person)Afghan people
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 阿富汗人。
    Wǒ rèn shi yí gè ā fù hàn rén.
    I know an Afghan person.
  • 阿富汗人。
    Hěn duō ā fù hàn rén zài zhōng guó xué xí.
    Many Afghan people study in China.
  • 阿富汗人。
    ā fù hàn rén De wén huà fēi cháng fēng fù.
    Afghan culture is very rich.

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.

阿富汗Afghanistan
阿ā富fù汗hàn
人rénperson

阿富汗 spells the place name, and 人 gives a person from it.

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
畐
畐fú富fù
Same sound today

富 pairs 宀, a roof-shaped part, with 畐, which gives the sound fú.

Open 富 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān汗hàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

汗 has 水, the water form, beside 干; 水 relates to liquid sweat, while 干 gives the sound.

Open 汗 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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