鲜鱼 (xiān yú) — fresh fish | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

fresh fish

Measure word · 条

Easily confused

鲜鱼。
Jīn tiān mǎi de xiān yú hěn xīn xiān.
The fresh fish I bought today is very fresh.
鲜鱼。
Mā ma yòng xiān yú zuò le yì guō tāng.
Mom made a pot of soup with fresh fish.
鲜鱼。
Cài shì chǎng de xiān yú zhǒng lèi hěn duō.
There are many kinds of fresh fish at the market.

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.

鲜 means 'fresh' and 鱼 means 'fish', together giving 'fresh fish'.

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 鮮; 鲜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

魚魚yúfish

Sound part声符shēngfú

羴

羴shān鮮xiān

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

The traditional form 鮮 pairs 魚 (fish) with 羴, which gives the sound; this note is about 鮮, not 鲜.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 魚; 鱼 is its simplified writing.

For 鱼, the traditional form 魚 is a picture of a fish.