圆白菜 (yuán bái cài) — cabbage

Definition

noun
cabbage
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 圆白菜。
    Wǒ zuó tiān mǎi le yí gè yuán bái cài.
    I bought a cabbage yesterday.
  • 圆白菜。
    Bǎ yuán bái cài xǐ gān jìng zài qiè.
    Wash the cabbage clean before cutting it.
  • 圆白菜。
    Mā ma yòng yuán bái cài zuò le yí dào hěn hǎo chī de cài.
    Mom made a delicious dish with cabbage.

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yuánround
白菜cabbage
白báiwhite菜càivegetable
偏正Modifier + head

“圆” says round, and “白菜” is cabbage, together a round cabbage.

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 →

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

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi菜cài
Same sound today

菜 has 艹 (grass/plants) on top and 采 below; the top part shows it is a plant, while 采 gives the sound.

Open 菜 →

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