斑马线 (bān mǎ xiàn) — zebra crossing; crosswalk | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

zebra crossingcrosswalk

Measure word · 条

Examples

斑马线。
Guò mǎ lù yí dìng yào zǒu bān mǎ xiàn.
You must use the crosswalk when crossing the road.
斑马线，。
Qián miàn yǒu yì tiáo bān mǎ xiàn, wǒ men cóng nà lǐ guò.
There is a crosswalk ahead; let's cross there.
斑马线。
Sī jī kàn dào bān mǎ xiàn shí yīng dāng jiǎn sù.
Drivers should slow down when they see a crosswalk.

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.

斑马zebra

斑bānspotted马mǎhorse

偏正Modifier + head

The 斑马 (spotted horse) pattern of stripes gives the 线 its name as a crosswalk.

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

糹泉線

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

泉

泉quán線xiàn

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

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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