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扶梯 (fú tī) — staircase with handrails; stepladder

Definition

扶梯 literally means 'railing ladder' and covers both an escalator (moving staircase) and a step ladder. The handrail (扶手) is part of what gives the word its name.

noun
staircase with handrailsstepladder
Measure word · 部

Examples

  • 扶梯，。
    Qǐng zǒu fú tī, bú yào tiào.
    Please use the staircase, don't jump.
  • 扶梯，。
    Tā cóng gōng jù jiān ná chū fú tī, zhǔn bèi xiū dēng.
    He took the stepladder from the toolroom to fix the light.
  • 扶梯，。
    fú tī De fú shǒu hěn zāng, nǐ cā yí xià.
    The handrail of the staircase is dirty; wipe it.

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.

扶fúsupport
梯tīladder or stairs

扶 support and 梯 ladder or stairs combine to name stairs or a ladder meant to be held.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
夫
夫fū扶fú
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is a hand, matching actions like helping or supporting. The right part 夫 gives the sound fū.

Open 扶 →

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
木木mùwood, tree
Sound part声符shēngfú
弟
弟dì梯tī
Same sound today

梯 puts 木 (wood/tree) beside 弟, which gives the sound, to write a wooden ladder.

Open 梯 →
Appears in
Buildings & Structures

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