啤酒杯 (pí jiǔ bēi) — beer glass; beer mug

Definition

noun
beer glassbeer mug
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 啤酒杯。
    Qǐng gěi wǒ yí gè pí jiǔ bēi.
    Please give me a beer glass.
  • 啤酒杯。
    Zhè ge pí jiǔ bēi hěn dà.
    This beer glass is very big.
  • 啤酒杯。
    Wǒ bǎ pí jiǔ bēi xǐ le.
    I washed the beer glass.

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.

啤酒beer
啤píbeer酒jiǔalcohol
偏正Modifier + head
杯bēicup

啤酒 gives the drink, and 杯 gives the vessel, so the whole names a mug for beer.

Characters in this word

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
口口kǒumouth (phonetic)
Sound part声符shēngfú
卑
卑bēi啤
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

啤 combines 口 (mouth) with 卑, which gives the sound bēi.

Open 啤 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
酉
酉yǒu酒jiǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酒 pairs 酉, the original picture for this word, with 水 (water), added later to distinguish it.

Open 酒 →

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
不
不bù杯bēi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

杯 is built from 木, meaning wood, and 不, which gives the sound.

Open 杯 →

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