前厅 (qián tīng) — antechamber; vestibule; lobby (of a hotel, thea…

Definition

noun

antechambervestibulelobby (of a hotel, theater, etc.)

Measure word · 个

前厅。
Kè rén dōu zài qián tīng děng diàn tī.
The guests are all waiting for the elevator in the lobby.
前厅。
Jù yuàn qián tīng lǐ guà zhe yì fú jù dà de huà.
A huge painting hangs in the theater lobby.
前厅。
Zhè dòng fáng zi de qián tīng hěn kuān chang.
The vestibule of this house is very spacious.

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.

前 refers to the front, and 厅 refers to a hall; together they mean the front hall or lobby.

Characters in this word

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

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

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 廳; 厅 is its simplified writing.

广聽廳

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

聽

聽tīng廳tīng

Same sound today

The traditional form 廳 pairs 广 (house) with 聽, which gives the sound; the simplified 厅 is a shorthand and its parts are not the original ones.

Appears in