慢车道 (màn chē dào) — slow lane (on a street); inside lane

Definition

noun
slow lane (on a street)inside lane
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 慢车道。
    Qǐng bǎo chí zài màn chē dào shàng xíng shǐ.
    Please stay in the slow lane.
  • 慢车道。
    Zì xíng chē yīng gāi zài màn chē dào lǐ qí.
    Bicycles should ride in the slow lane.
  • ，慢车道。
    Tā kāi dé tài màn le, yì zhí zài màn chē dào shàng.
    He drives too slowly and is always in the slow lane.

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.

慢mànslow
车道vehicle lane
车chēvehicle道dàolane
偏正Modifier + head

慢 indicates slow, and 车道 is a vehicle lane: a lane for slow traffic.

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn慢màn
Same sound today

慢 pairs 忄 (heart) with 曼 (màn). The heart part points to a manner or sluggish behavior, while 曼’s meaning “long, extended” adds the sense of taking a long time.

Open 慢 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 車; 车 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 車 was drawn as a carriage seen from above, with wheels on both sides and a shaft at the front; the simplified 车 is a later shorthand.

Open 车 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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