公文包 (gōng wén bāo) — briefcase

Definition

noun
briefcase
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 公文包
    Tā měi tiān dài zhe yí gè gōng wén bāo qù shàng bān.
    He takes a briefcase to work every day.
  • 公文包
    Zhè ge gōng wén bāo shì hēi sè de.
    This briefcase is black.
  • 公文包
    Wǒ bǎ wén jiàn fàng jìn gōng wén bāo lǐ.
    I put the documents into the briefcase.

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.

公文official document
gōngpublicwéndocument
偏正Modifier + head

公文 means official document, 包 means bag; together it names a bag for official papers.

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.

Open 公 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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

The shape of 包 pictures a fetus in a womb, or a baby wrapped in cloth.

Open 包 →

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