壁画 (bì huà) — mural; fresco | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

muralfresco

Measure word · 幅

壁画。
Zhè zuò sì miào lǐ yǒu hěn duō jīng měi de bì huà.
There are many exquisite murals in this temple.
壁画。
Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài dòng xué lǐ fā xiàn le gǔ lǎo de bì huà.
Archaeologists discovered ancient murals in the cave.
壁画。
Zhè xiē bì huà fǎn yìng le dāng shí rén men de shēng huó.
These murals reflect the life of people at that time.

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.

画huàpainting

壁 (wall) + 画 (painting) means a painting on a wall.

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.

土辟壁

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

辟

Same sound today

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

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 畫; 画 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

聿聿yùbrush

Sound part声符shēngfú

規

規guī畫huà

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

The traditional form 畫 pairs 聿, a brush, with 規 for its sound. The simplified 画 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the old parts.

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