to follow

big man

M to follow (cong 2 ) f:A crowd (zhong 4 )

This character comprises 'Two's company, three's This character depicts a 'Man' is the compound
two building blocks for a crowd.' Three building man stretching his arms for 'big' with an extra
'p erson'. One man leads, the blocks for 'person' make a wide. Imagine that he is line across the top of
other follows close behind . crowd. This is the simplified saying, 'It WC!S this big.' the character, like wide
This is the simplified form; form; the traditional form shoulders. This line
the traditional form of this of this character is ~. represents the pins in a
character is ~ . man 's topknot hairstyle.

....... ... .. ... . ...... ... ·-···~······· ............. _........................................................................... '····to········ ................................... '!'" ...................... ' ..... 04 · · -· · · . . . . . . . . ~· · . . . . . . . . . . ._. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._. . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . ..

PERSO N COMPOUNDS 17
*.A. adult
(da4 ren 2 )
Height doesn't always
indicate maturity, but.
in simple terms, an adult
is just a big person.
big + person = adult

l\.f:A public
(da 4 zhong 4 )
'.•.••..•....•......... .....•••.. ..••••..••..••••••••.•••.•••••..•••.......•....................•....•..........•...••.............
person ••
•• big •
'

The public is made up of

adult
a large group of people.
big + crowd = public

f:AA.people
(zhong 4 ren 2 )
A crowd is made up of
many different people.
This phrase also means
'everybody'. crowd +
person = people

~A madam l big crowd l

1 2 ~--·········•*••••········· · ···•··•·••·•••···•••••···•••·••·•••••·· · ···················~··········· ..••...•••.....••.....••.•.:
(fu ren )
public
In ancient Ch ina. a woman
became her husband's
property after marriage;
she became her husband's
person. man + person
=madam

..• crowd person .•

....................... ···- .•
. • •••••• ...... ···········--···----·--···--..........................................
-

people

.:••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
man person .:•
madam

...........................•..•.•..... ···· ········································~···································································································· ..·······~······································································

18 PERSON PHRASES
 4
*. too much (tai )

This compound comprises

'big' and a stroke under
the character, suggesting
something even bigger.
It also means 'extremely'
or 'excessively'.

4 4
*.*. Mrs (t ai tai )

This is a strange phrase.

To have double too much
t oo much means 'Mrs' or 'wife'.
Do you t hink th is phrase
is accurate? too much
+too much = Mrs

*.*.. too big

(tai 4 d a 4 )
A straightforward phrase:
if something is too big,
there is too much of it.
too much + big = too big

•. too much too much .••

*..~ doctor
•0
0

•• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ._. . . . . . . . . . . .._• • • • • • • • • ._. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <00000 • .......... .

•
. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

Mrs (d ai4 fu)

This phrase has two
meanings. When
pronounced 'da~ + fu',
with a neutral and soft
tone, it means 'doctor'.
4
When pronounced 'da
+ fu1', it means 'senior
official' . Both are rather
archaic . big + man = doctor

• too much big

. ......................
0
•
...
0
0

:• • t • ' . . . . . . . . ••
0 • • . . . • • • . . . • • • .... • . . . . • • • • . . . . . . . • ........ . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . . • • • • • • • • • • • ••• •• • ••• ••• •• ,. ' ~

too big

:•
•
big man !
0

~ ..•••..•....•.....•...•............•...........•...•.....••......••.....••.•.•••..•••••••••••••.••.••••••.••••..•.•..........•.•
doctor

....................................................................... ......... .................................................................................................................. ....... ................................................. ......................

._ ._ ~

PERSON PHRASES 19