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香蕉 (xiāng jiāo) — banana

Definition

noun
banana
Measure word · 枝, 根, 个, 把

Examples

  • 香蕉。
    Wǒ mǎi le yí gè xiāng jiāo.
    I bought a banana.
  • 香蕉。
    Zhè gēn xiāng jiāo hěn dà.
    This banana is very big.
  • 香蕉？
    Nà bǎ xiāng jiāo duō shǎo qián?
    How much is that bunch of bananas?

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.

香xiāngfragrant
蕉jiāobanana plant

香蕉 combines 香 (fragrant) with 蕉 (banana plant) to name the fruit.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Open 香 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
焦
焦jiāo蕉jiāo
Same sound today

蕉 uses 艹 to show it is a plant, and 焦 to give the pronunciation.

Open 蕉 →
Appears in
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