泥塑 (ní sù) — clay sculpture

Definition

noun
clay sculpture
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 泥塑。
    Tā shàn cháng zhì zuò ní sù.
    He is good at making clay sculptures.
  • 泥塑。
    ní sù Shì zhōng guó chuán tǒng yì shù zhī yī.
    Clay sculpture is one of China's traditional arts.
  • 泥塑。
    Zhè xiē ní sù zuò pǐn zào xíng shēng dòng.
    These clay sculpture works have vivid shapes.

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.

泥níclay
塑sùsculpture

泥 (clay) + 塑 (sculpture) refers to a sculpture made from clay.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
尼
尼ní泥nì
Same sound today

The left side is 氵, the water part; the right side is 尼, which gives the sound.

Open 泥 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
朔
朔shuò塑sù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

塑 pairs 土 (earth) with 朔, which gives the sound.

Open 塑 →

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