(lǒu) — (bound form) deep basket

Definition

篓 (lǒu) is a bound morpheme meaning 'deep basket', almost always used as part of a compound like 背篓 (back-basket) or 字纸篓 (wastepaper basket). On its own it does not stand alone as a word.

bound form
deep basket

Examples

  • Tā yòng zhú lǒu zhuāng le hěn duō shuǐ guǒ.
    He used a bamboo basket to hold a lot of fruit.
  • Bēi lǒu shì shān qū nóng mín cháng yòng de gōng jù.
    The backpack basket is a common tool for mountain farmers.
  • Tā bǎ fèi zhǐ rēng jìn le zì zhǐ lǒu.
    He threw the waste paper into the wastepaper basket.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 簍; 篓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
lóulǒu
Same sound today

The traditional form 簍 combines 竹 (bamboo) with 婁 for sound; the simplified 篓 is a later shorthand.

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