典 diǎn reference book
reference book; classic; model; ceremony
How to remember 典: ⿻𠀇⿰丨丨 bend + 八 eight = reference book. The student has to bend over the desk for eight minutes just to find one word in the heavy reference book.
Component breakdown
典 = ⿻𠀇⿰丨丨 bend + 八 eight
- ⿻𠀇⿰丨丨 bend
- 八 eight
The student has to bend over the desk for eight minutes just to find one word in the heavy reference book.
How it came to be
Two hands holding up a set of bamboo slips bound into a book, the way a document is shown. A book held up like that has authority: it is the rule book, the law.
How it is used
- Bound morpheme for authoritative reference works and classics - 词典 (cídiǎn) dictionary, 字典 (zìdiǎn) character dictionary, 经典 (jīngdiǎn) a classic.
- Also 'model/standard' - 典型 (diǎnxíng) typical/a typical case, 典范 (diǎnfàn) exemplar.
- And formal ceremony - 典礼 (diǎnlǐ) as in 毕业典礼 (bìyè diǎnlǐ) graduation ceremony. Rarely stands alone.
Characters built with 典
Words with 典
- 词典cídiǎndictionaryHSK 3
- 字典zìdiǎnChinese character dictionaryHSK 3
- 经典jīngdiǎnthe classicsHSK 5
- 典型diǎnxíngmodelHSK 6
- 典礼diǎnlǐceremonyHSK 6
- 古典gǔdiǎnclassicalHSK 6
- 引经据典yǐnjīng-jùdiǎnliterally to quote the classicsHSK 7
- 典范diǎnfànmodelHSK 8
- 庆典qìngdiǎncelebrationHSK 8
- 辞典cídiǎndictionary (variant of 词典)HSK 9
Example sentences
- 这是我的词典。 Zhè shì wǒde cídiǎn.This is my dictionary.