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摇篮 (yáo lán) — (noun) cradle (a baby's bed); (noun) cradle, birthplace (of a culture, civilization, etc.)

Definition

摇篮 is literally a baby's cradle, and by extension the 'cradle' or birthplace of a culture (文化) or civilization (文明) — e.g. 文明的摇篮 ('cradle of civilization').

noun
cradle (a baby's bed)cradlebirthplace (of a culture, civilization, etc.)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 摇篮。
    Mā ma qīng qīng de bǎ bǎo bao fàng jìn yáo lán lǐ.
    Mom gently puts the baby into the cradle.
  • 摇篮。
    Zhè zuò gǔ chéng shì dōng fāng wén huà de yáo lán.
    This ancient city is the cradle of Eastern culture.
  • 摇篮。
    Dà xué shì péi yǎng rén cái de yáo lán.
    Universities are the cradle for cultivating talent.

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.

摇yáorock
篮lánbasket

摇 gives the idea of rocking, while 篮 refers to a basket-like bed, forming a cradle.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 摇 →

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 籃; 篮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān籃lán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 籃 puts 竹 (bamboo) over 監, which gives the sound; the simplified 篮 is a later shorthand.

Open 篮 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Furniture

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