罗盘 (luó pán) — compass | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

compass

Measure word · 个

Examples

罗盘。
Tā ná zhe luó pán zài sēn lín lǐ biàn bié fāng xiàng.
He held a compass to find his way through the forest.
罗盘？
Zhè ge luó pán shì zhōng guó gǔ dài háng hǎi jiā fā míng de ma?
Was this compass invented by ancient Chinese navigators?
罗盘。
Tā xué xí yòng luó pán lái guī huà lǚ xíng lù xiàn.
She learned to use a compass to plan travel routes.

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.

A compass is a 盘 (disk) that 罗 (gathers) directions.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 羅; 罗 is its simplified writing.

网网wǎngnet
維維wéibird (tied with string)

The traditional form 羅 combines 网 (net) with 維 (a bird tied with string) to show a net for catching birds; the simplified 罗 is a later abbreviation.

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 盤; 盘 is its simplified writing.

般皿盤

Meaning part形符xíngfú

皿皿mǐn

Sound part声符shēngfú

般

般bān盤pán

Same sound today

The traditional form 盤 pairs 般, which gives the sound, with 皿, a vessel. This note is about 盤, not the simplified 盘.

Appears in

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