句 jù sentence
measure word for sentences and lines; sentence
How to remember 句: 勹 wrap + 口 mouth = sentence. The nervous best man opens his mouth, tries to wrap his speech into short lines and stumbles over the very first sentence.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
originally 丩 + 口
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
句 = 勹 wrap + 口 mouth
- 勹 wrap shape only
- 口 mouth sound
The nervous best man opens his mouth, tries to wrap his speech into short lines and stumbles over the very first sentence.
How it came to be
The oldest form sets a mouth between two curling lines: two tangled cords that meant to entangle.
How it is used
- A sentence, and its measure word: 句子 (jùzi) sentence, 一句话 (yí jù huà) one remark/sentence, 说几句 (shuō jǐ jù) say a few words.
- Use 句 to count utterances/lines: 一句诗 (yí jù shī) a line of poetry.
- Note the pitfall: for written passages the measure is 句, but for whole texts/articles use 篇 (piān).
Characters built with 句
Words with 句
Example sentences
- 请把这句话翻译成英语。 Qǐng bǎ zhè jù huà fānyì chéng Yīngyǔ.Please translate this sentence into English.
- 这个英文句子是什么意思？ Zhège Yīngwén jùzi shì shénme yìsi?What does this English sentence mean?