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晚礼服 (wǎn lǐ fú) — evening gown; formal evening dress

Definition

noun
evening gownformal evening dress
Measure word · 件

Examples

  • 晚礼服。
    Tā chuān zhuó yí jiàn piào liang de wǎn lǐ fú qù cān jiā wǎn huì.
    She wore a beautiful evening gown to attend the gala.
  • 晚礼服。
    Zhè tào wǎn lǐ fú shì shè jì shī zhuān mén wèi tā dìng zhì de.
    This set of formal evening wear was custom-made by the designer for her.
  • 晚礼服。
    Lǐ fú diàn lǐ yǒu gè zhǒng yán sè hé kuǎn shì de wǎn lǐ fú.
    The formalwear store has evening gowns of various colors and styles.

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.

晚wǎnevening
礼服formal dress
礼lǐceremony服fúclothing
偏正Modifier + head

晚 names the evening and 礼服 names formal dress, so it means an evening formal dress.

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
免
免miǎn晚wǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

晚 pairs 日, the sun part, with 免, which supplies the sound.

Open 晚 →

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 禮; 礼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
礻Written in full as示shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ禮lǐ
Same sound today

The traditional form 禮 pairs 礻 (altar) with 豊, a sound part, for performing rites at the altar; the simplified 礼 is a later shorthand.

Open 礼 →

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →
Appears in
Clothing

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