贝 (bèi) — shell; shellfish (bound form, appears in compounds); treasure; precious object (in 宝贝); surname Bei
Definition
贝 (bèi) is a bound form, not a stand-alone word — it appears inside compounds to mean 'shell' (贝壳) or, extended, 'treasure' (宝贝, literally 'precious shell', used for anything cherished).
bound form
shellshellfish (bound form, appears in compounds)treasureprecious object (in 宝贝)surname Bei
Examples
- 。Zhè piàn shā tān shàng yǒu xǔ duō bèi ké.There are many shells on this beach.
- 。Zhè jiàn bǎo bèi shì wǒ zuì zhēn guì de shōu cáng.This treasure is my most precious collection.
- 。Wǒ men diǎn le bèi lèi hǎi xiān tāng.We ordered shellfish seafood soup.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 貝; 贝 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 貝, not the simplified 贝, shows a cowrie shell used as money in ancient China.
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