白点 (bái diǎn) — a white dot or spot; a blemish | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A literal 'white dot or spot' on a surface, often used for a small blemish on fabric, skin, or in an image.

noun

a white dot or spota blemish

Measure word · 个

Examples

白点。
Tā de chèn shān shàng yǒu yí gè hěn xiǎo de bái diǎn.
There is a very small white dot on his shirt.
白点？
Zhè kuài bù liào shàng de bái diǎn shì shén me?
What are the white spots on this fabric?
，白点。
Zài zhào piàn zhōng, nǐ kě yǐ kàn dào tiān kōng zhōng yǒu jǐ gè bái diǎn.
In the photo, you can see a few white dots in the sky.

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.

It combines 白 (white) with 点 (dot or spot) to mean a white spot or blemish.

Characters in this word

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

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

黑占點

Meaning part形符xíngfú

黑黑hēiblack

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

占zhàn點diǎn(r)

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

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in

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