博拉 (bó lā) — (place name) Bora (transliteration)

Definition

Transliteration of a foreign place name (here, Bora Bora). In Chinese it functions as a proper noun and is not analyzed into smaller parts — learn it as a whole name.

noun
(place name) Bora (transliteration)

Examples

  • 博拉。
    bó lā Shì yí gè měi lì de hǎi dǎo.
    Bora is a beautiful island.
  • 博拉？
    Nǐ qù guò bó lā ma?
    Have you been to Bora?
  • 博拉。
    Wǒ tīng shuō bó lā de fēng jǐng hěn hǎo.
    I heard the scenery at Bora is very good.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
音译yīnyìTransliteration

The characters spell the sound of a foreign word; their individual meanings play no part.

博bó
拉lā

博拉 spells the foreign place name Bora; its characters carry no meaning of their own here.

Sound-only characters

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
十十shíten
Sound part声符shēngfú
尃
尃fū博
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from combining 十 (ten) with 尃; 尃 gives the sound.

Open 博 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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