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圆珠笔 (yuán zhū bǐ) — ballpoint pen

Definition

noun
ballpoint pen
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 圆珠笔。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì zhī yuán zhū bǐ.
    I bought a ballpoint pen.
  • 圆珠笔。
    Qǐng yòng yuán zhū bǐ xiě nǐ de míng zì.
    Please write your name with a ballpoint pen.
  • 圆珠笔。
    Zhè yuán zhū bǐ hěn hǎo xiě.
    This ballpoint pen writes very well.

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.

圆珠round bead
圆yuánround珠zhūbead
偏正Modifier + head
笔bǐpen

圆 describes the small round 珠 at the tip, and together they name the 笔 that writes with it.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 圓; 圆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán圓yuán
Same sound today

This is about the traditional form 圓, not the simplified 圆. In 圓, 囗 surrounds 員, and the inner part of 員 is an old circle picture.

Open 圆 →

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
𤣩Written in full as玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
朱
朱zhū珠zhū
Same sound today

The left side 𤣩, a form of 玉, connects the character to jade, while the right side 朱 gives the sound.

Open 珠 →

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 筆; 笔 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù筆bǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The simplified 笔 is based on the traditional form 筆, which puts 竹 (bamboo) beside 聿 (writing brush). 聿 already meant the brush and supplied the sound; 竹 was added later to show it was made of bamboo.

Open 笔 →
Appears in
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