薄荷糖 (bò he táng) — peppermint candy | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

peppermint candy

Measure word · 颗

Examples

薄荷糖。
Wǒ mǎi le yì xiē bò he táng.
I bought some peppermint candies.
薄荷糖。
Zhè zhǒng bò he táng hěn hǎo chī.
This kind of peppermint candy is very tasty.
薄荷糖？
Nǐ néng gěi wǒ yí kuài bò he táng ma?
Can you give me a peppermint candy?

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.

薄荷mint

薄荷 names mint and 糖 means candy, giving a mint-flavored candy.

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.

艹溥薄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎo

Sound part声符shēngfú

溥

溥pǔ薄báo

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

薄 combines 艹, a grass part, with 溥 as the sound part.

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; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

何

何hé荷hé

Same sound today

荷 has 艸, the grass/plant form, to show a plant, and 何 to give the sound.

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

米唐糖

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

唐

Same sound today

糖 is made from 米 (rice) and 唐, which gives the sound táng.

Appears in

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