活页 (huó yè) — loose-leaf (paper or binder)

Definition

A technical/office term for paper or a binder designed so pages can be added or removed freely. It always refers to the format itself, never the content on the page.

noun
loose-leaf (paper or binder)
Measure word · 本

Examples

  • 活页。
    Zhè běn huó yè bǐ jì běn kě yǐ suí yì tiān jiā zhǐ zhāng.
    This loose-leaf notebook allows you to add paper freely.
  • 活页，。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì bāo huó yè zhǐ, fāng biàn zhěng lǐ bǐ jì.
    I bought a pack of loose-leaf paper, convenient for organizing notes.
  • 活页。
    Zhè zhǒng huó yè wén jiàn jiā kě yǐ chóng fù shǐ yòng.
    This type of loose-leaf binder can be reused.

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.

活huóloose; flexible
页yèleaf; page

活 conveys loose or flexible, while 页 means leaf or page; together they describe detachable leaves.

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
𠯑
𠯑𠯑活huó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Open 活 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頁; 页 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 頁 drew a head and body of a kneeling person; later 頁 was used to write page. This explanation is about 頁, not the simplified 页.

Open 页 →

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