顶叶 (dǐng yè) — terminal leaf; leaf at the top of a stem | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

terminal leafleaf at the top of a stem

Measure word · 片

Easily confused

顶针dǐng zhēnlook-alikethimble

Examples

顶叶。
Zhè kē zhí wù de dǐng yè zuì dà.
The terminal leaf of this plant is the largest.
顶叶。
dǐng yè Shì zhí wù dǐng duān de zhǔ yào yè zi.
The terminal leaf is the main leaf at the top of the plant.
顶叶。
Zhè zhòng shù de dǐng yè yán sè hěn shēn.
The terminal leaf of this tree has a very dark color.

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.

'顶' means top and '叶' means leaf, so it is the leaf at the top.

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 頂; 顶 is its simplified writing.

丁頁頂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng頂dǐng

Same sound today

The traditional form 頂 pairs 頁, meaning head, with 丁, which supplies the sound; the simplified 顶 is a later abbreviation.

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

口十叶

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

十

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

The form 叶 pairs 口 (mouth) with 十 (ten) as an old form meaning cooperate; it later came to mean leaf because it sounded similar.

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