的黎波里 (dì lí bō lǐ) — Tripoli (capital of Libya); Tripoli (city in northern Lebanon)

Definition

A transliterated proper noun used for two different cities that share this name. The first is the capital of Libya; the second is a port city in northern Lebanon.

noun
Tripoli (capital of Libya)Tripoli (city in northern Lebanon)

Examples

  • 的黎波里。
    dì lí bō lǐ Shì lì bǐ yà de shǒu dū.
    Tripoli is the capital of Libya.
  • 的黎波里。
    Wǒ qù nián qù guò lí bā nèn de dì lí bō lǐ.
    I went to Tripoli in Lebanon last year.
  • 的黎波里。
    Shì jiè shàng yǒu liǎng gè jiào zuò dì lí bō lǐ de chéng shì.
    There are two cities in the world called Tripoli.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
音译yīnyìTransliteration

The characters spell the sound of a foreign word; their individual meanings play no part.

的de
黎lí
波bō
里lǐ

The characters carry no meaning of their own here; the word spells Tripoli.

Sound-only characters

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
白白báiwhite
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo的de
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

的 pairs 白, related to white or brightness, with 勺, which gives a clue to the sound. Its older form 旳 meant bright.

Open 的 →

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
黍黍shǔmillet
Sound part声符shēngfú
利
利lì黎lí
Same sound today

黎 pairs 黍, meaning millet, with 利 as its sound part; here the 黍 part is shortened.

Open 黎 →

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

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 皮 gives the sound.

Open 波 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

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