About
The character 枚 originally depicted a hand (the right-side component 攵, a variant of 攴) tapping against the trunk of a tree (木). This phono-semantic structure combines 木, indicating wood, with 攵, which suggests the action of striking and provides a phonetic clue. Together, they gave the character its early meanings: 'tree trunk' and 'wooden peg.' Over time, 枚 shifted dramatically from a noun for wooden objects to a grammatical classifier. It became widely used to count small, individual objects, flat things, or items like coins, medals, and stamps. Although it once had distinct meanings related to wood, its modern role as a versatile counter for specific types of discrete objects has become primary.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我找到一枚硬币。
这枚邮票很漂亮。
他送我一枚戒指。
我收藏了一枚古老的硬币。
这枚奖章代表他的荣誉。
发射一枚导弹需要精确计算。
在博物馆里，我看到一枚锈迹斑斑的铁币。
经过仔细检查，专家确认这枚印章是唐代的文物。
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