橘 jú tangerine
tangerine; orange
怎么记住“橘”: 木 tree + 矛 spear + 冏 window = tangerine. Grandpa climbs the tree, swings a stick like a spear at the branch by the kitchen window, and down drops a ripe tangerine.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
橘 = 木 tree + 矞 drill
- 木 tree meaning
- 矞 drill sound
- 矛 spear
- 冏 window
Grandpa climbs the tree, swings a stick like a spear at the branch by the kitchen window, and down drops a ripe tangerine.
How it came to be
The tree gives the meaning and the right part gives the sound.
用法
- Bound morpheme, essentially only seen in 橘子 júzi, the everyday word for mandarin orange/tangerine.
- 橘子 has thin, loose, easy-to-peel skin and separates into segments by hand: the fruit-shopping and eating context where you'll hear it most.
- Contrast with 橙子 chéngzi (below): the two fruits look similar to English speakers but Chinese treats them as clearly distinct, with different skins and different words, don't use them interchangeably.