葡萄藤 (pú tao téng) — grapevine (the plant)

Definition

noun
grapevine (the plant)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 葡萄藤，。
    Yuàn zi lǐ zhǒng le yì kē pú tao téng, xià tiān kě yǐ zhē yīn.
    A grapevine was planted in the yard, providing shade in summer.
  • 葡萄藤，。
    Zhè kē pú tao téng yǐ jīng cháng le shí nián, měi nián dōu jié hěn duō pú tao.
    This grapevine has been growing for ten years and produces lots of grapes every year.
  • 葡萄藤。
    Nóng mín xiū jiǎn pú tao téng shì wèi le ràng pú tao cháng dé gèng hǎo.
    Farmers prune the grapevine so the grapes grow better.

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
藤téngvine

葡萄 names the grape plant, and 藤 adds the idea of a climbing vine.

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.

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
滕
滕téng藤téng
Same sound today

藤 combines 艸 (grass) and 滕, which gives the sound, to write a type of plant.

Open 藤 →

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