TongTong
Sign in

伴娘 (bàn niáng) — bridesmaid

Definition

noun
bridesmaid
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，伴娘。
    Wǒ de jiě jie jié hūn de shí hou, wǒ dāng le bàn niáng.
    When my sister got married, I was a bridesmaid.
  • 。
    Tā yāo qǐng le sān gè zuì hǎo de péng you zuò bàn niáng.
    She invited her three best friends to be bridesmaids.
  • 伴娘。
    bàn niáng De qún zi dōu shì bái sè de.
    The bridesmaids' dresses are all white.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

伴bàncompanion
娘niángwoman

伴 (companion) and 娘 (woman) form a female companion for a wedding.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn伴bàn
Same sound today

伴 puts 亻 (person) beside 半. The person part fits the meaning of companion, and 半 gives the sound.

Open 伴 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng娘niáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

娘 is built from 女 (woman) and 良, which supplies the sound.

Open 娘 →
Appears in
Romance & Marriage

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.