形声字 (Xíngshēngzì) - Phono-semantic Compound Characters

形声字 are Chinese characters that are composed of two parts: one part indicates the meaning (semantic component) and the other part suggests the pronunciation (phonetic component). This type of character makes up the majority of Chinese characters and helps to convey both the meaning and pronunciation simultaneously.

Key Characteristics:

- Semantic Component (形旁, Xíngpáng): Provides a clue to the meaning of the character.

- Phonetic Component (声旁, Shēngpáng): Provides a clue to the pronunciation of the character.

Examples of 形声字:

1. 河 (hé, river)

- Semantic Component: 氵 (Three dots water), indicating relation to water.

- Phonetic Component: 可 (kě), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 河, which means river.

2. 妈 (mā, mother)

- Semantic Component: 女 (nǚ, woman), indicating relation to women.

- Phonetic Component: 马 (mǎ), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 妈, which means mother.

3. 清 (qīng, clear)

- Semantic Component: 氵 (Three dots water), indicating relation to water.

- Phonetic Component: 青 (qīng), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 清, which means clear or pure.

4. 语 (yǔ, language)

- Semantic Component: 讠 (yán, speech), indicating relation to speech.

- Phonetic Component: 吾 (wú), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 语, which means language or speech.

5. 树 (shù, tree)

- Semantic Component: 木 (mù, wood), indicating relation to trees or wood.

- Phonetic Component: 对 (duì), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 树, which means tree.

6. 桥 (qiáo, bridge)

- Semantic Component: 木 (mù, wood), indicating relation to structures or wood.

- Phonetic Component: 乔 (qiáo), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 桥, which means bridge.

7. 情 (qíng, emotion)

- Semantic Component: 心 (xīn, heart), indicating relation to feelings or emotions.

- Phonetic Component: 青 (qīng), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 情, which means emotion or feeling.

8. 镜 (jìng, mirror)

- Semantic Component: 钅 (jīn, metal), indicating relation to metal or reflective surfaces.

- Phonetic Component: 竟 (jìng), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 镜, which means mirror.

9. 路 (lù, road)

- Semantic Component: 足 (zú, foot), indicating relation to walking or paths.

- Phonetic Component: 各 (gè), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 路, which means road or path.

10. 船 (chuán, boat)

- Semantic Component: 舟 (zhōu, boat), indicating relation to boats or watercraft.

- Phonetic Component: 且 (qiě), suggesting the pronunciation.

- Combination: Together, they form the character 船, which means boat.

Summary:

- 形声字 characters efficiently combine semantic and phonetic clues.

- Semantic Component (形旁): Indicates the meaning or category of the character.

- Phonetic Component (声旁): Suggests the pronunciation of the character.

- These characters leverage familiar elements to create new meanings, facilitating easier learning and recognition.

Understanding 形声字 helps in deciphering both the meaning and pronunciation of complex Chinese characters. Would you like to explore more examples or learn about another aspect of Chinese characters?