瑚

hú

王 + 胡

Frequency#3140

Definitions

hú used in 珊瑚[shān hú]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 王 represents the meaning and 胡 represents the sound.

Semantic: 王 Phonetic: 胡

About

The character "瑚" is structured with the semantic component 玉, denoting jade or precious materials, and the phonetic component 胡, which indicates its pronunciation. Originally, "瑚" referred to a type of ritual vessel crafted from jade or bronze used in ancestral ceremonies. Over time, its independent meaning diminished, and it became almost exclusively employed in the compound "珊瑚", where it denotes coral, a hard calcareous substance historically valued for its jade-like qualities. This shift reflects a semantic narrowing from a standalone term for an artifact to a specific element within a binomial word for a natural material.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

海洋里有许多珊瑚。

Hǎiyáng lǐ yǒu xǔduō shānhú.

There are many corals in the ocean.

珊瑚的颜色非常漂亮。

Shānhú de yánsè fēicháng piàoliang.

The color of coral is very beautiful.

我在海边捡到一块珊瑚。

Wǒ zài hǎibiān jiǎndào yī kuài shānhú.

I picked up a piece of coral at the seaside.

这片海域的珊瑚种类很多。

Zhè piàn hǎiyù de shānhú zhǒnglèi hěn duō.

There are many types of coral in this sea area.

保护珊瑚礁是每个人的责任。

Bǎohù shānhújiāo shì měi gè rén de zérèn.

Protecting coral reefs is everyone's responsibility.

如果水温升高，珊瑚容易白化。

Rúguǒ shuǐwēn shēng gāo, shānhú róngyì báihuà.

If the water temperature rises, coral is prone to bleaching.

科学家们正在监测珊瑚的健康状况。

Kēxuéjiāmen zhèngzài jiāncè shānhú de jiànkāng zhuàngkuàng.

Scientists are monitoring the health condition of corals.

由于人类活动的影响，珊瑚生态系统变得十分脆弱。

Yóuyú rénlèi huódòng de yǐngxiǎng, shānhú shēngtài xìtǒng biàn dé shífēn cuìruò.

Due to the impact of human activities, the coral ecosystem has become very fragile.

Related Characters

Component: 王

Component: 胡

瑚