印花布 (yìn huā bù) — printed calico; printed fabric

Definition

noun

printed calicoprinted fabric

Measure word · 块

印花布，。
Zhè zhǒng yìn huā bù de huā sè hěn xiān yàn, shì hé zuò xià tiān de qún zi.
This type of printed fabric has very bright colors and is suitable for summer skirts.
印花布，。
Tā zài shì chǎng shàng tiāo le yí kuài yìn huā bù, zhǔn bèi zuò chuāng lián.
She picked a piece of printed calico at the market to make curtains.
印花布，。
Lǎo cái feng yòng yìn huā bù zuò le yí jiàn zhōng shì shàng yī, hěn yǒu mín zú tè sè.
The old tailor made a Chinese-style jacket out of printed fabric, full of ethnic character.

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.

印花printed pattern

动宾Verb + object

印花 (printing patterns) gives the 布 (cloth) its meaning as fabric with printed designs.

Characters in this word

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

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

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

艹化花

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

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

巾巾jīnkerchief

Sound part声符shēngfú

父

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.