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项目 (xiàng mù) — project; (sports) event; item (on an agenda or list)

Definition

项目 (xiàngmù) refers to a planned 'project' or a discrete 'item' on a list or agenda — more structured and planned than 事 (a general matter or affair).

noun
project(sports) eventitem (on an agenda or list)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 项目。
    Wǒ men gōng sī zhèng zài zuò yí gè dà xiàng mù.
    Our company is working on a big project.
  • 项目。
    Yóu yǒng shì tā zuì xǐ huan de xiàng mù.
    Swimming is his favorite sports event.
  • 项目。
    Jīn tiān de huì yì yǒu sān gè zhòng yào xiàng mù.
    Today's meeting has three important items.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

项xiàngitem
目mùcategory

项 and 目 both mean an entry or category, together forming a project or item.

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 項; 项 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng項xiàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 項 combines 工 as a sound part with 頁, meaning head; the simplified 项 is a later shorthand.

Open 项 →

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

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Open 目 →
Appears in
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