笔尖 (bǐ jiān) — nib; tip (of a pen, pencil, or brush)

Definition

noun
nibtip (of a pen, pencil, or brush)

Examples

  • 笔尖。
    Zhè zhī gāng bǐ de bǐ jiān hěn xì.
    The nib of this fountain pen is very fine.
  • 笔尖。
    Máo bǐ de bǐ jiān shì yòng yáng máo zuò de.
    The tip of the brush is made of sheep hair.
  • ，笔尖。
    Yòng qiān bǐ xiě zì shí, bǐ jiān hěn róng yì duàn.
    When writing with a pencil, the tip breaks easily.

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.

笔bǐpen
尖jiāntip

The tip 尖 of a pen 笔 is its nib.

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 筆; 笔 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù筆bǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The simplified 笔 is based on the traditional form 筆, which puts 竹 (bamboo) beside 聿 (writing brush). 聿 already meant the brush and supplied the sound; 竹 was added later to show it was made of bamboo.

Open 笔 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

尖 puts 小 (small) above 大 (large), showing the width of an object gradually changing from small to large.

Open 尖 →

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