满天 (mǎn tiān) — (phrase) covering the whole sky; all over the s…

Definition

A set phrase meaning something fills or spreads across the entire sky — used as a vivid modifier (e.g. 满天乌云, 满天雪花).

phrase

covering the whole skyall over the sky

满天，。
Tiān kōng mǎn tiān wū yún, mǎ shàng jiù yào xià yǔ le.
The sky is full of dark clouds; it's going to rain soon.
，。
Xuě huā mǎn tiān fēi wǔ, dà dì yí piàn jié bái.
Snowflakes dance all over the sky, and the earth is a white expanse.
，满天。
Qìng zhù huó dòng shàng, cǎi qí mǎn tiān piāo yáng.
During the celebration, colorful flags were fluttering all over the sky.

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.

满 means full or all over and 天 means sky, together referring to the whole sky.

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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

㒼

㒼㒼滿mǎn

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

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

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

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Appears in