睡帽 (shuì mào) — nightcap | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

nightcap

Measure word · 顶

Examples

睡帽。
Tā dài le yì dǐng shuì mào shuì jiào.
He wore a nightcap to sleep.
睡帽。
Nǎi nai sòng gěi wǒ yí jiàn máo xiàn shuì mào.
Grandma gave me a knitted nightcap.
睡帽。
Dōng tiān dài shàng shuì mào kě yǐ bǎo nuǎn.
Wearing a nightcap in winter can keep you warm.

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.

A hat worn for sleep; 睡 means sleep and 帽 means hat.

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.

目垂睡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

目目mùeye

Sound part声符shēngfú

垂

垂chuí睡shuì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

睡 combines 目, an eye, with 垂, which gives its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

巾冒帽

Meaning part形符xíngfú

巾巾jīncloth

Sound part声符shēngfú

冒

冒mào帽mào

Same sound today

帽 uses 巾 (cloth) for the meaning and 冒 for the sound. The earlier form 冃 was later written with 目 and 巾 added.

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