背带 (bēi dài) — shoulder strap, suspender, sling | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A strap worn over the shoulder or attached to a bag to carry or hang something — used for suspenders (∼裤), rifle slings, backpack straps, and camera straps.

noun

shoulder strapsuspendersling

Measure word · 条

Examples

，背带。
Tā chuān zhuó xī zhuāng, hái pèi le yì tiáo bēi dài.
He wore a suit and also matched it with suspenders.
背带。
Shì bīng bǎ bù qiāng guà zài bēi dài shàng.
The soldier hung the rifle on the sling.
背带。
Zhè ge bēi bāo de bēi dài hěn jiē shi.
The straps of this backpack are very sturdy.

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.

背bèicarry on back

背 describes carrying on the back, and 带 is the strap used for it.

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.

北月背

Meaning part形符xíngfú

月Written in full as肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

北

北běi背bèi

Same sound today

背 was first written as 北; 北 gives the sound, and 肉 (meat, written as 月 here) was added to separate it from 北’s north meaning.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 帶; 带 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 帶 was drawn as a woven belt; the simplified 带 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Clothing Footwear & Accessories

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