黄金分割 (huáng jīn fēn gē) — (noun) golden section (a mathematical ratio used in art, architecture, and nature)

Definition

noun
golden section (a mathematical ratio used in art, architecture, and nature)

Examples

  • 黄金分割。
    Xǔ duō gǔ xī là jiàn zhù dōu yùn yòng le huáng jīn fēn gē de yuán zé.
    Many ancient Greek buildings applied the principle of the golden section.
  • 黄金分割φ。
    huáng jīn fēn gē Zài shù xué shàng tōng cháng yòng xī là zì mǔ φ biǎo shì.
    The golden section is usually represented by the Greek letter φ in mathematics.
  • 黄金分割。
    Dà zì rán zhōng hěn duō zhí wù de yè xù dōu fú hé huáng jīn fēn gē.
    The leaf arrangement of many plants in nature conforms to the golden section.

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.

黄金gold
黄huángyellow金jīnmetal
偏正Modifier + head
分割division
分fēndivide割gēcut
联合Side by side

黄金 names gold and 分割 names division, together forming the golden section.

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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

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
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
害
害hài割gē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

割 combines 害, which provides the sound, with 刂, the knife form of 刀, to show cutting.

Open 割 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.