纪念碑 (jì niàn bēi) — monument | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

纪念碑 is a large public stone monument built to honor a person or event — a physical structure, not a day (纪念日) or keepsake (纪念). Compare 碑 (any stone tablet) and 墓碑 (tombstone).

noun

monument

Measure word · 座

Examples

纪念碑。
Zhè zuò chéng shì yǒu yí zuò zhù míng de jì niàn bēi.
This city has a famous monument.
纪念碑。
jì niàn bēi Shàng kè zhe hěn duō zhòng yào de wén zì.
There are many important texts carved on the monument.
纪念碑。
Měi nián yǒu hěn duō yóu kè lái cān guān zhè zuò jì niàn bēi.
Every year many tourists come to visit this monument.

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.

纪念commemorate

纪jìrecord念niànremember

联合Coordinate

碑bēistone tablet

纪念 (“commemorate”) plus 碑 (“stone tablet”) names a tablet raised to remember someone or an event.

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 紀; 纪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

己

己jǐ紀jì

Same sound today

The traditional form 紀 pairs 糸, silk, with 己 as the sound part; the simplified 纪 is a shorthand.

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

亼心念

亼今jīnupside-down mouth
心心xīnheart

念 combines 今, an upside-down mouth, with 心, the heart, to listen to one's heart.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

石卑碑

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

卑

卑bēi碑bēi

Same sound today

碑 shows 石 (stone) beside 卑, with 卑 giving the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Landmarks & Attractions

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