标号 (biāo hào) — grade; quality rating; grade mark; label indicating grade

Definition

A label (letter, number, or symbol) attached to a product to show its grade or quality class. As a compound, 标 is the verb 'mark/label' and 号 means 'number' — together 'grade mark'.

noun
gradequality ratinggrade marklabel indicating grade

Examples

  • 标号A。
    Zhè ge chǎn pǐn de biāo hào shì A jí.
    This product's grade mark is A level.
  • 标号，。
    Tā jiǎn chá le zhì liàng biāo hào, rán hòu què rèn le jià gé.
    He checked the quality grade and then confirmed the price.
  • 标号。
    Bù tóng de biāo hào duì yìng bù tóng de cái liào.
    Different grade marks correspond to different materials.

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.

标biāomark
号hàonumber

标 gives the sense of a mark or standard, and 号 gives a number or grade.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 標; 标 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
票
票piào標biāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 標 pairs 木 with 票, and 票 gives the sound; the simplified 标 is the modern form of that traditional character.

Open 标 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →

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