斑驳 (bān bó) — mottled; variegated (of colors, light, or patterns)

Definition

adjective
mottledvariegated (of colors, light, or patterns)

Examples

  • 斑驳。
    Qiáng shàng de yóu qī yǐ jīng bān bó le.
    The paint on the wall has become mottled.
  • 斑驳。
    Yáng guāng tòu guò shù yè sǎ xià bān bó de guāng yǐng.
    Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows.
  • 斑驳。
    Gǔ lǎo de shí bēi shàng kè zhe bān bó de wén zì.
    The ancient stone tablet bears mottled inscriptions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

斑bānspot
驳bómixed colors

The word joins 斑, suggesting spots, with 驳, suggesting mixed colors, to describe mottled patterns.

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 駁; 驳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo駁bó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 駁 pairs 馬, a horse, with 爻, which gives the sound and can also be interpreted as marks; the simplified 驳 is a later abbreviation.

Open 驳 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.