腔骨 (qiāng gū) — spine bones (of pigs, sheep, etc.) used for sou…

Definition

noun

spine bones (of pigs, sheep, etc.) used for soup or stew

Measure word · 块

Easily confused

腔骨，。
Jīn tiān de tāng shì yòng qiāng gū áo de, wèi dào hěn xiān.
Today's soup is made with spine bones and has a very fresh taste.
腔骨。
Mā ma qù cài shì chǎng mǎi le sān jīn qiāng gū.
Mom went to the market and bought three jin of spine bones.
腔骨，。
Bǎ qiāng gū hé luó bo yì qǐ dùn, tāng tè bié hǎo hē.
Stew the spine bones with radish, and the soup will be especially delicious.

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.

腔qiāngtrunk cavity

腔 refers to the trunk cavity, and 骨 to bone; together they name spine bones used for stew.

Characters in this word

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

腔 is made from 肉 (meat; flesh) plus 空 (empty; hollow), where 空 supplies the sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

冎

冎guǎ骨gǔ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.