小辫 (xiǎo biàn) — pigtail

Definition

noun
pigtail
Measure word · 条
Easily confused

Examples

  • 小辫。
    Tā zhā le yí gè xiǎo biàn.
    She tied a pigtail.
  • 小辫。
    xiǎo biàn Shàng xì le yì gēn hóng shéng.
    A red string was tied on the pigtail.
  • 小辫，。
    Tā de xiǎo biàn hěn duǎn, fēi cháng kě ài.
    Her pigtail is very short and very cute.

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.

小xiǎosmall
辫biànbraid

小辫 joins 小 meaning small with 辫 meaning braid, giving a pigtail.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 辫 →

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