广告栏 (guǎng gào lán) — advertisement column, classifieds section (in a newspaper or online)

Definition

The classifieds / advertising column in a newspaper or website, where small ads are grouped together (jobs, used cars, rentals, etc.). It is a specific section, not the ads scattered through the rest of the paper.

noun
advertisement columnclassifieds section (in a newspaper or online)

Examples

  • 广告栏。
    Qǐng zài guǎng gào lán lǐ fā bù zhāo pìn xìn xī.
    Please post the job advertisement in the classifieds column.
  • 广告栏。
    Zhè fèn bào zhǐ de guǎng gào lán hěn shòu huān yíng.
    This newspaper's advertisement column is very popular.
  • 广告栏。
    Wǒ zài guǎng gào lán shàng zhǎo dào le pián yi de èr shǒu chē.
    I found a cheap used car in the classifieds section.

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.

广告advertisement
广guǎngbroad告gàoannounce
偏正Modifier + head
栏láncolumn

广告 is a broad announcement, and 栏 is a column; together they name the ad column.

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 廣; 广 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
黃
黃huáng廣guǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廣 combines 广 (meaning part) with 黃 (sound part); the simplified 广 is a later shorthand, not the full historical shape.

Open 广 →

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.

Open 告 →

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 欄; 栏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
闌
闌lán欄lán
Same sound today

In the traditional form 欄, 木 (wood) shows the meaning and 闌 supplies the sound; the simplified 栏 is a later shorthand.

Open 栏 →

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