笔筒 (bǐ tǒng) — pen holder; brush pot

Definition

noun
pen holderbrush pot
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 笔筒。
    Shū zhuō shàng fàng zhe yí gè bǐ tǒng.
    There is a pen holder on the desk.
  • 笔筒。
    Zhè ge bǐ tǒng shì péng you sòng gěi wǒ de shēng rì lǐ wù.
    This pen holder was a birthday gift from a friend.
  • 笔筒。
    Tā de bǐ tǒng lǐ chā zhe jǐ zhī bǐ.
    There are several pens in his pen holder.

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
筒tǒngtube

笔, meaning pen, combines with 筒, a tube-like container, to denote a pen holder.

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 →

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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