表链 (biǎo liàn) — watch chain | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

watch chain

Measure word · 条

Examples

表链。
Zhè tiáo biǎo liàn shì chún yín de.
This watch chain is pure silver.
表链。
Tā měi tiān dōu huì zǐ xì cā shì biǎo liàn.
He carefully polishes the watch chain every day.
表链。
Wǒ mǎi le yì tiáo xīn biǎo liàn pèi wǒ de lǎo huái biǎo.
I bought a new watch chain to go with my old pocket watch.

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.

'表' is the watch and '链' the chain, giving the chain attached to a watch.

Characters in this word

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

衣衣yīgarment; clothing
毛毛máohair; feather

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

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 鏈; 链 is its simplified writing.

金連鏈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

連

連lián鏈liàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 鏈 pairs 金 (metal) with 連, which gives the sound; the simplified 链 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical parts.

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