颌 (gé) — jaw (bound form, used in compounds)
Definition
Bound form meaning 'jaw' — almost never used alone, always as part of a compound like 上颌 (upper jaw) or 下颌 (lower jaw). The everyday word for 'chin/jaw' in speech is 下巴.
bound form
jaw (bound form, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Shàng gé zài zuǐ ba de shàng fāng.The upper jaw is above the mouth.
- 。Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de xià gé.The doctor examined his lower jaw.
- 颌。Rén de gé gǔ hěn yìng.A person's jawbone is very hard.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 頜; 颌 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
The traditional form 頜 pairs 合 (sound) with 頁 (head). The simplified 颌 is not the form described.
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