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空包弹 (kōng bāo dàn) — blank cartridge

Definition

noun
blank cartridge
Measure word · 发

Examples

  • 空包弹，。
    Shì bīng men shǐ yòng de shì kōng bāo dàn, bú shì zhēn zǐ dàn.
    The soldiers use blank cartridges, not real bullets.
  • 空包弹。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng lǐ yòng de dōu shì kōng bāo dàn.
    This movie uses only blank cartridges.
  • 空包弹。
    Xùn liàn shí wǒ men zhǐ néng yòng kōng bāo dàn.
    During training we can only use blank cartridges.

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.

空包blank packet
空kōngempty包bāopacket
偏正Modifier + head
弹tánbullet

空 points to empty, 包 to a cartridge packet, and 弹 to a bullet; together they name a blank round.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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

The shape of 包 pictures a fetus in a womb, or a baby wrapped in cloth.

Open 包 →

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
單
單dān彈tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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