账簿 (zhàng bù) — account book; ledger | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

account bookledger

Measure word · 本

账簿。
Kuài jì bǎ suǒ yǒu de jiāo yì dōu jì zài zhàng bù shàng.
The accountant records all transactions in the ledger.
账簿。
Zhè běn zhàng bù jì lù le gōng sī shí nián de cái wù shù jù.
This account book records ten years of the company's financial data.
账簿。
Shěn jì shī zǐ xì jiǎn chá le měi yì běn zhàng bù.
The auditor carefully examined every account book.

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.

账 specifies accounts and 簿 is a book, together meaning a ledger.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 賬; 账 is its simplified writing.

貝長賬

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèishell

Sound part声符shēngfú

長

長cháng賬

Same sound today

In the traditional form 賬, 貝 is a shell and 長 is used for the sound; the simplified 账 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

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

竹溥簿

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

溥

溥pǔ簿bù

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

簿 used for book, pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 溥; 竹 is the meaning part and 溥 gives the sound.