棉被 (mián bèi) — cotton-padded quilt; (general) quilt

Definition

noun
cotton-padded quilt(general) quilt
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 棉被。
    Dōng tiān gài yì chuáng mián bèi hěn nuǎn huo.
    A quilt is very warm in winter.
  • 棉被，。
    Zhè jiàn mián bèi de zhì liàng hěn hǎo, yòng le shí nián.
    This quilt is of good quality and has lasted ten years.
  • 棉被。
    Mā ma bǎ mián bèi ná chū lái shài le shài.
    Mom took the quilt outside to air it out.

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.

棉miáncotton
被bèiquilt

棉 means cotton and 被 means quilt, so it is a cotton quilt.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 棉 →

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
衣衣yīclothing
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí被bèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

被 pairs 衣 (clothing) with 皮, which gives the sound.

Open 被 →

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