回音壁 (huí yīn bì) — Echo Wall (a famous circular wall in the Temple of Heaven, Beijing, known for its acoustic properties)

Definition

A specific circular wall in Beijing's Temple of Heaven (天坛) famous for its acoustics — sound travels along its curved surface so whispers at one end are heard clearly at the other. Not a general term for an echo, but a proper place name.

noun
Echo Wall (a famous circular wall in the Temple of Heaven, Beijing, known for its acoustic properties)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 回音壁？
    Nǐ qù guò tiān tán de huí yīn bì ma?
    Have you been to the Echo Wall in the Temple of Heaven?
  • 回音壁，。
    Zhàn zài huí yīn bì qián shuō huà, shēng yīn néng chuán dé hěn yuǎn.
    If you speak in front of the Echo Wall, the sound can travel very far.
  • 回音壁。
    Dǎo yóu zhèng zài jiè shào huí yīn bì de lì shǐ.
    The tour guide is introducing the history of the Echo Wall.

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.

回音echo
回huíreturn音yīnsound
偏正Modifier + head
壁bìwall

回音 means echo, literally returning sound, and 壁 is wall; together they name a wall that reflects sound.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Open 音 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
辟
辟pì壁bì
Same sound today

壁 combines 土 (earth) and 辟, which gives the sound. The whole means an earthen wall.

Open 壁 →

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