空腹 (kōng fù) — (adverb) on an empty stomach

Definition

adverb
on an empty stomach

Examples

  • ，空腹。
    Jiǎn chá qián bú yào chī dōng xī, yào kōng fù.
    Don't eat before the exam — do it on an empty stomach.
  • 空腹。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì kōng fù hē yì bēi wēn shuǐ.
    The doctor recommends drinking a glass of warm water on an empty stomach.
  • 空腹。
    Zhè zhǒng yào zuì hǎo kōng fù fú yòng.
    This medicine is best taken on an empty stomach.

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kōngempty
腹fùstomach

空 means empty and 腹 means stomach, giving the sense of an empty stomach.

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 →

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
肉肉ròumeat; flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù腹⁰fù
Same sound today

The left part 肉, meaning flesh, shows this is a body part, and the right part 复 gives the sound.

Open 腹 →

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