弯腰 (wān yāo) — to bend over; to stoop | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

弯腰 means 'to bend over / stoop' — the everyday word for bending the waist, often to pick something up or touch the ground.

verb

to bend overto stoop

Examples

弯腰，。
Tā jiǎn dōng xī de shí hou wān yāo tài měng, shǎn le yāo.
He bent over too quickly when picking up something and threw his back out.
，。
Zhè ge dòng zuò yāo qiú nǐ wān xià yāo, bǎo chí sān shí miǎo.
This move requires you to bend down and hold it for thirty seconds.
，。
Tā zài dì lǐ wān le yí gè xiǎo shí de yāo, lèi dé zhí bù qǐ lái.
He bent over in the field for an hour and was so tired he couldn't straighten up.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

“弯” means bend and “腰” is the waist, so bending the waist gives the idea of stooping.

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 彎; 弯 is its simplified writing.

弓䜌彎

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

䜌

䜌䜌彎wān

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

The traditional form 彎 pairs 弓 (bow) with 䜌 as a sound part; the simplified 弯 is a later shorthand.

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

⺼Written in full as肉ròuflesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

要

要yào腰yāo

Same sound today

The left part ⺼ is flesh; the right part 要 gives the sound.

Appears in

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