布告牌 (bù gào pái) — bulletin board; notice board

Definition

noun

bulletin boardnotice board

Measure word · 块

布告牌。
Qǐng bǎ tōng zhī tiē zài bù gào pái shàng.
Please post the notice on the bulletin board.
布告牌。
bù gào pái Shàng yǒu hěn duō zhòng yào de xìn xī.
There is a lot of important information on the bulletin board.
布告牌。
Xué xiào de bù gào pái zài zǒu láng lǐ.
The school's bulletin board is in the hallway.

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.

布告notice

联合Side by side

布告 means a notice, and 牌 is a board, so the word denotes a board for notices.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

巾巾jīnkerchief

Sound part声符shēngfú

父

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.

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

The origin is unclear: one theory sees 告 as 壴 (a decorated drum) above 口 (an open mouth), while another sees a tongue sticking out of 口.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

片卑牌

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

卑

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

牌 puts 片, a flat piece, beside 卑, which gives the sound.