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斑点 (bān diǎn) — spot; stain; speckle

Definition

A physical mark on a surface — animal markings, stains, or speckles. Unlike 处, 斑点 is never a 'place' or 'point of an argument'; it stays concrete and visual.

noun
spotstainspeckle
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 斑点。
    Zhè zhī māo de máo shàng yǒu bái sè de bān diǎn.
    This cat has white spots on its fur.
  • 斑点。
    Wǒ de kù zi shàng yǒu yí gè yóu bān diǎn.
    There is an oil stain on my pants.
  • 斑点。
    Zhè zhǒng shuǐ guǒ de biǎo miàn yǒu hóng sè bān diǎn.
    This type of fruit has red speckles on its surface.

Origin

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
文文wénpattern
Sound part声符shēngfú
班
班bān斑bān
Same sound today

斑 uses 文 to show a pattern and 班 to give its sound.

Open 斑 →

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Appearance

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