Definitions

zhǐ (noun) paper

Etymology

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

Etymologically, the character for paper, represented in its traditional form as '紙', incorporates the silk radical '糸' alongside the phonetic element '氏', indicating its early association with silk-based materials used for writing. As papermaking techniques progressed to utilize plant fibers such as hemp and mulberry bark, the character's meaning broadened to encompass these new materials while its structural composition remained unchanged, preserving the visual link to its origins even as the substance it described evolved. This continuity in written form, despite shifts in the tangible substance it denotes, illustrates how linguistic symbols can maintain historical connections to their initial contexts.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是一张白

Zhè shì yī zhāng bái zhǐ.

This is a piece of white paper.

我用折飞机。

Wǒ yòng zhǐ zhé fēijī.

I use paper to fold a paper airplane.

上有新闻。

Bàozhǐ shàng yǒu xīnwén.

There is news on the newspaper.

请把放进垃圾桶。

Qǐng bǎ zhǐ fàng jìn lèsè tǒng.

Please put the paper into the trash bin.

这张的颜色很漂亮。

Zhè zhāng zhǐ de yánsè hěn piàoliang.

The color of this paper is very beautiful.

我们需要节约用保护环境。

Wǒmen xūyào jiéyuē yòng zhǐ bǎohù huánjìng.

We need to save paper to protect the environment.

在古代,是一项重要的发明。

Zài gǔdài, zhǐ shì yī xiàng zhòngyào de fāmíng.

In ancient times, paper was an important invention.

这种特殊张可以防水。

Zhè zhǒng tèshū zhǐzhāng kěyǐ fángshuǐ.

This special kind of paper is waterproof.