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Learn Chinese Characters 048 工
Author: caren_zuo Date: 2007-08-29 18:18
by Caren Zuo
工 gōng

Actually it likes a ruler used by a carpenter. The vertical stroke is just the handle for a carpenter to hold. The horizontal stroke is used to measure and calculate. Each stroke is quite straight. As it is a necessary tool for a carpenter to work, the character gained its extensive meaning-WORK, which became its dominant meaning later.
“工” is a radical which is related to “work” or “skill” when it forms combined characters.
A test: Can you find the part that representing “work” or “skill”?
左 巧 式 功
Phrases:
工作(gōng zuò) work, labor
工厂 (gōng chǎng) factory
工人 (gōng rén) worker
工具 (gōnɡ jù) tool
电工 (diàn gōng) electrician
矿工 (kuàng gōng) miner
工程师 (gōng chéng shī) engineer
Tags:
Chinese_characters
Display Tagged Entries
Learn Chinese Characters 155 走 (2008-04-14 09:06)
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Learn Chinese Characters 153 止 (2008-04-12 17:21)
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Learn Chinese Characters 150 半 (2008-04-03 17:49)
Learn Chinese Characters 149 分 (2008-04-03 17:46)
Learn Chinese Characters 148 私 (2008-04-01 09:08)
Add a horizontal stroke to the character "工" and it becomes the character "王". The former have something to do with "work", while the dominant meaning of the character "王" is "king" or "the ruler of a tribe or group".


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