Definitions

(classifier) classifier for trees, plants, vegetables

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "棵" combines the wood radical 木 with the phonetic component 果, a structure that has consistently linked it to botanical subjects through meaning and sound. Its early usage referred to a cut section or stump of a tree, but over time its application narrowed to serve specifically as a measure word for counting plants and trees. This semantic shift from a concrete noun to a grammatical classifier demonstrates how the character's form, anchored by its semantic element, supported a change in function while its phonetic element continued to inform its pronunciation.

Example Sentences Hide

这里有一树。

zhè lǐ yǒu yī kē shù.

Here is a tree.

小树苗很可爱。

zhè kē xiǎo shù miáo hěn kě ài.

This small sapling is very cute.

他每天给那树浇水。

tā měi tiān gěi nà kē shù jiāo shuǐ.

He waters that tree every day.

我们公园里有上百树。

wǒ men gōng yuán lǐ yǒu shàng bǎi kē shù.

There are hundreds of trees in our park.

果树都结满了果实。

měi kē guǒ shù dōu jié mǎn le guǒ shí.

Every fruit tree is full of fruit.

她精心照料着每一植物。

tā jīng xīn zhào liào zhe měi yī kē zhí wù.

She takes care of every plant carefully.

由于暴风雨,好几大树被吹倒了。

yóu yú bào fēng yǔ, hǎo jǐ kē dà shù bèi chuī dǎo le.

Due to the storm, several big trees were blown down.

在森林里,每一树都在生态系统中扮演重要角色。

zài sēn lín lǐ, měi yī kē shù dōu zài shēng tài xì tǒng zhōng bàn yǎn zhòng yào jué sè.

In the forest, every tree plays an important role in the ecosystem.