英镑 (Yīng bàng) — pound sterling (British currency) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

pound sterling (British currency)

Examples

英镑。
Wǒ yǒu yì bǎi Yīng bàng.
I have one hundred pounds.
英镑。
Yīng bàng Shì yīng guó de huò bì.
The pound sterling is the currency of the United Kingdom.
英镑。
Tā yòng Yīng bàng mǎi le zhè liàng chē.
He bought this car with pounds.

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.

英yīngBritain

英 gives Britain, and 镑 gives pound, together naming the British pound.

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.

艹央英

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

央

央yāng英yīng

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

英 pairs 艹 (grass) with 央, which gives the sound.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

Money & Currency

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