恐怖片 (kǒng bù piàn) — horror movie, horror film (classifier: 部)

Definition

noun

horror moviehorror film (classifier: 部)

Measure word · 部

恐怖片。
Wǒ zuó wǎn kàn le yí bù kǒng bù piàn.
I watched a horror movie last night.
恐怖片。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng shì tā zuì xǐ huan de kǒng bù piàn.
This movie is her favorite horror film.
恐怖片，。
Wǒ bù xǐ huan kàn kǒng bù piàn, tài xià rén le.
I don't like watching horror movies; they're too scary.

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.

恐怖horror

联合Coordinate

恐 and 怖 both mean fear, while 片 means film, so the word names a film built on fear.

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

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢀜

𢀜𢀜恐kǒng

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

恐 is written with 心 (heart). The older form pairs 心 with 𢀜; the modern form can be read as 巩 above 心.

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

忄布怖

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

布

Same sound today

怖 is made of 忄, the heart, and 布, which gives the sound. The heart side shows fear.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in