TongTong
Sign in

葡萄干 (pú tao gān) — raisin

Definition

noun
raisin
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 葡萄干，？
    Zhè xiē pú tao gān hěn tián, nǐ yào bú yào cháng yí gè?
    These raisins are very sweet. Would you like to try one?
  • 葡萄干。
    Mā ma yòng pú tao gān zuò le hěn duō miàn bāo.
    Mom made a lot of bread with raisins.
  • 葡萄干。
    Wǒ xǐ huan zài suān nǎi lǐ jiā yì xiē pú tao gān.
    I like to add some raisins to yogurt.

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.

葡萄grape
葡pú萄táo
干gāndried

葡萄 refers to the grape and 干 to its dried state, so the word names a raisin.

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
匍
匍pú葡
Same sound today

葡 is built from 艸 (grass) plus 匍 as the sound part. For the grape meaning, the old explanation also links it to a sprout growing in a field, so the shape points to plants.

Open 葡 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
匋
匋táo萄
Same sound today

The top 艹 marks 萄 as a plant, and 匋 gives its sound. The part 匋 also points to making an earthenware jar, possibly for a plant used to make wine.

The simplified 干 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (饼干, 干杯) it is 乾; in others (干, 干活儿) (干扰) it is 幹 or 干.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 乾; 干 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乙乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
倝
倝gàn乾gān
Same sound today
Open 干 →
Appears in
Fruits

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.