地滚球 (dì gǔn qiú) — bowling | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Standard Mainland term for bowling (the sport played at a bowling alley, 地滚球馆). In Taiwan the same sport is usually called 保龄球.

noun

bowling

Examples

地滚球。
Wǒ měi zhōu dōu qù dǎ dì gǔn qiú.
I go bowling every week.
地滚球。
dì gǔn qiú Shì yì zhǒng xū yào jì qiǎo de yùn dòng.
Bowling is a sport that requires skill.
地滚球。
Zhè jiā dì gǔn qiú guǎn gāng kāi zhāng.
This bowling alley just opened.

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.

地滚ground roll

地dìground滚gǔnroll

偏正Modifier + head

球qiúball

Ground, roll, and ball together picture a ball that rolls along the ground.

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.

土也地

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

也

也yě地dì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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 滾; 滚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

袞

袞gǔn滾gǔn

Same sound today

The traditional form 滾 pairs 水 (water) with 袞, which supplies the pronunciation. The simplified 滚 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical 袞.

Open 滚 →

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

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

求

求qiú球qiú

Same sound today

球 is built from 玉, meaning jade, and 求, which gives the sound.

Open 球 →

Appears in

Ball Games