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舞伴 (wǔ bàn) — dancing partner

Definition

noun
dancing partner
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 舞伴。
    Wǒ zhǎo bú dào wǔ bàn.
    I can't find a dancing partner.
  • 舞伴。
    Tā yāo qǐng wǒ dāng tā de wǔ bàn.
    She invited me to be her dancing partner.
  • 舞伴。
    Tā men shì zuì hǎo de wǔ bàn.
    They are the best dancing partners.

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.

舞wǔdance
伴bànpartner

舞 refers to dancing and 伴 to a companion, so the word means a partner for dancing.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
舛舛chuǎnsteps, feet in convergent direction
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú舞wǔ
Same sound today

舞 combines 舛, showing feet in converging steps, with 無 above. 無 gave the sound and also preserved its older meaning of dancing, so the shape points to dancing.

Open 舞 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn伴bàn
Same sound today

伴 puts 亻 (person) beside 半. The person part fits the meaning of companion, and 半 gives the sound.

Open 伴 →
Appears in
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