白象 (bái xiàng) — white elephant (the animal); (brand) Baixiang, a Chinese food company

Definition

Literally 'white elephant' (the animal), but in modern Chinese usage 白象 most often refers to the Baixiang brand of instant noodles. In English 'white elephant' also means a costly burden, but that sense does not carry over into Chinese.

noun
white elephant (the animal)(brand) Baixianga Chinese food company
Measure word · 头

Examples

  • 白象。
    Dòng wù yuán lǐ yǒu yì tóu bái xiàng.
    There is a white elephant at the zoo.
  • 白象。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì bāo bái xiàng fāng biàn miàn.
    I bought a pack of Baixiang instant noodles.
  • 白象。
    bái xiàng Zhè ge pǐn pái zài zhōng guó hěn yǒu míng.
    The Baixiang brand is very famous in China.

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.

白báiwhite
象xiàngelephant

From 白 and 象: an elephant that is white.

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.

Open 白 →

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

象 is drawn as an elephant, with a long trunk, a head, and a big body.

Open 象 →

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