公告栏 (gōng gào lán) — bulletin board

Definition

noun

bulletin board

Measure word · 个

公告栏。
Tōng zhī dōu tiē zài gōng gào lán shàng le.
The notices are all posted on the bulletin board.
公告栏。
Qǐng nǐ qù kàn yí xià gōng gào lán shàng de zuì xīn xiāo xi.
Please go check the latest news on the bulletin board.
公告栏。
Zhè ge gōng gào lán měi tiān dōu yǒu xīn nèi róng.
This bulletin board has new content every day.

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.

公告public notice

偏正Modifier + head

公告 public notice and 栏 board; a board for public notices.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin is unclear: one theory sees 告 as 壴 (a decorated drum) above 口 (an open mouth), while another sees a tongue sticking out of 口.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 欄; 栏 is its simplified writing.

木闌欄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

闌

闌lán欄lán

Same sound today

In the traditional form 欄, 木 (wood) shows the meaning and 闌 supplies the sound; the simplified 栏 is a later shorthand.