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满月 (mǎn yuè) — (of a baby) to be one month old

Definition

满月 (mǎn yuè) is a verb meaning a baby has just turned one month old — often the occasion for a celebratory banquet. Note: as a noun, 满月 also means 'full moon'.

verb
(of a baby) to be one month old

Examples

  • 满月，。
    Bǎo bao jīn tiān mǎn yuè le, jiā lǐ lái le hěn duō qīn qi.
    The baby is one month old today, and many relatives came over.
  • ，。
    Hái zi yǐ jīng mǎn le yuè, kě yǐ dài chū qù shài tài yáng le.
    The baby has already turned one month old; you can take him out to enjoy the sun.
  • 满月，。
    Xià ge yuè tā jiā hái zi yě yào mǎn yuè le, tā men zhǔn bèi bàn jiǔ xí.
    Next month their baby will also be one month old, and they are preparing a celebration banquet.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

满mǎnfull
月yuèmonth

满 means full and 月 means month, so the idea is a baby reaching a full month.

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
水水shuǐwater
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.

Open 满 →

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

月 was drawn as a crescent moon, with the curved outline showing the moon’s shape.

Open 月 →
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