后盖 (hòu gài) — back cover (of a device, book, etc.); carapace, shell (of a crab, turtle, etc.)

Definition

后盖 (hòu gài) is literally 'rear cover' — the back shell of a device (phone, camera) or the carapace/shell of a crustacean or turtle. Two unrelated senses share the word.

noun
back cover (of a device, book, etc.)carapaceshell (of a crab, turtle, etc.)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 后盖，。
    Wǒ de shǒu jī hòu gài shuāi huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè xīn de.
    The back cover of my phone broke from a fall and needs to be replaced with a new one.
  • 后盖。
    Zhè ge xiàng jī de hòu gài kě yǐ chāi xià lái qīng xǐ.
    The back cover of this camera can be removed for cleaning.
  • 后盖，。
    Páng xiè de hòu gài hěn yìng, bù róng yì dǎ kāi.
    A crab's shell is very hard and not easy to open.

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.

后hòuback
盖gàicover

后 means 'back' and 盖 means 'cover', together referring to the rear cover or shell.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

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 蓋; 盖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé蓋gài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蓋 pairs 艸, grass, with 盍 for sound. It was a thatch, and it took on cover meanings after 盍 was borrowed for “why not”.

Open 盖 →

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