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皱巴巴 (zhòu bā bā) — crumpled, wrinkled (describing the state of cloth, paper, skin, etc., often in a messy or untidy way)

Definition

A vivid, colloquial way to describe something that is crumpled or full of wrinkles — often clothes or paper left untidy. More casual and emphatic than just 皱.

bound form
crumpledwrinkled (describing the state of cloth, paper, skin, etc., often in a messy or untidy way)

Examples

  • 皱巴巴，。
    Tā de chèn shān zhòu bā bā de, kàn qǐ lái méi yùn guò.
    His shirt is crumpled; it looks like it hasn't been ironed.
  • 皱巴巴，。
    Zhè zhāng zhǐ bèi róu dé zhòu bā bā de, bù néng yòng le.
    This paper has been crumpled up so badly it can't be used.
  • 皱巴巴，。
    Lǎo rén de liǎn shàng bù mǎn zhòu bā bā de zhòu wén, dàn xiào róng hěn wēn nuǎn.
    The old man's face is covered in wrinkled creases, but his smile is warm.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

皱zhòuwrinkle
巴巴
巴bā巴bā

皱 means wrinkled, and 巴巴 adds a messy, crumpled feel.

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 皺; 皱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
皮皮pí
Sound part声符shēngfú
芻
芻chú皺zhòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 皺 pairs 皮 (skin) with 芻 as a sound part; the simplified 皱 is a shorthand and its visible parts are not the historical ones.

Open 皱 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 巴 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 巴 →
Appears in
Texture & Quality

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