项链 (xiàng liàn) — necklace | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

necklace

Measure word · 条

Examples

项链。
Zhè tiáo xiàng liàn shì mā ma gěi wǒ de shēng rì lǐ wù.
This necklace is a birthday gift from my mom.
项链，。
Tā dài le yí xiàng liàn yín de, hěn piào liang.
She is wearing a silver necklace; it's very pretty.
项链。
Tā mǎi le yì tiáo xiàng liàn sòng gěi nǚ péng you.
He bought a necklace and gave it to his girlfriend.

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.

项 (neck) and 链 (chain) combine into a chain worn around the neck.

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.

工頁項

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.

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 鏈; 链 is its simplified writing.

金連鏈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

連

連lián鏈liàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 鏈 pairs 金 (metal) with 連, which gives the sound; the simplified 链 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical parts.

Appears in

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