鲣 (jiān) — bonito (a type of fish, often used in Japanese cuisine)

Definition

Examples

  • 鲣。
    Zhè zhǒng jiān yú kě yǐ yòng lái zuò cì shēn.
    This kind of bonito can be used to make sashimi.
  • 鲣。
    Rì běn liào lǐ zhōng cháng yòng jiān yú gān zuò tāng dǐ.
    In Japanese cuisine, dried bonito is often used as soup stock.
  • 鲣。
    Yú mín jīn tiān bǔ dào le hěn duō jiān yú.
    The fishermen caught a lot of bonito today.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 鰹; 鲣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
魚魚yú
Sound part声符shēngfú
堅
堅jiān鰹
Same sound today

The traditional form 鰹 combines 魚 (fish) with 堅, which supplies the sound; 鲣 is a simplified form.

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