竹筒 (zhú tǒng) — bamboo tube

Definition

noun
bamboo tube
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 竹筒。
    Tā yòng zhú tǒng zhuāng shuǐ.
    He uses a bamboo tube to hold water.
  • 竹筒。
    Zhè zhǒng zhú tǒng kě yǐ yòng lái zuò yuè qì.
    This kind of bamboo tube can be used to make musical instruments.
  • 竹筒。
    Bǎ mǐ fàn fàng jìn zhú tǒng lǐ zhēng.
    Put the rice into the bamboo tube and steam it.

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.

竹zhúbamboo
筒tǒngtube

竹 (bamboo) and 筒 (tube) describe a tube made from bamboo.

Characters in this word

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

竹 pictures two bamboo stalks with leaves.

Open 竹 →

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
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
同
同tóng筒tǒng
Same sound today

The bamboo part 竹 marks 筒 as a bamboo tube, and 同 gives its sound.

Open 筒 →

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