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合体 (hé tǐ) — (v.o.) to combine into one; to merge; (s.v.) to fit well (of clothing, etc.)

Definition

合体 is both a verb ('to merge/combine into one') and an adjective ('to fit well', e.g. clothing). As a verb it implies parts becoming a single whole, more physical than abstract like 合并.

(v.o.) to combine into oneto merge(s.v.) to fit well (of clothing, etc.)

Examples

  • 合体。
    Zhè liǎng gè jī qì rén hé tǐ le.
    These two robots combined into one.
  • 合体。
    Zhè jiàn yī fu hěn hé tǐ.
    This piece of clothing fits well.
  • 。
    Tā men hé le yí cì tǐ jiù fēn kāi le.
    They merged once and then separated.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

合hécombine/fit
体tǐbody

合体 uses 合 (combine/fit) with 体 (body) to mean joining into one or fitting the body.

Characters in this word

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

合 shows 亼 and 口 arranged as two mouths speaking together.

Open 合 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsClothing

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