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舞步 (wǔ bù) — dance step; a pattern of foot movements in dancing

Definition

noun
dance stepa pattern of foot movements in dancing
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 舞步。
    Tā zhèng zài xué xí xīn de wǔ bù.
    He is learning new dance steps.
  • 舞步。
    Zhè ge huá ěr zī wǔ bù hěn yōu yǎ.
    This waltz step is very graceful.
  • 舞步。
    Tā de wǔ bù fēi cháng qīng kuài.
    Her dance steps are very light and brisk.

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
步bùstep

舞 (dance) specifies 步 (step), meaning a dance step.

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 →

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

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →
Appears in
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