金波 (jīn bō) — (literary) moonlight, especially shimmering on water

Definition

Literary, poetic term for moonlight shimmering on water — a set image in classical poetry, not used in everyday speech.

noun
(literary) moonlightespecially shimmering on water

Examples

  • 金波。
    Hú miàn shàng sǎ mǎn le jīn bō.
    The lake surface was sprinkled with golden moonlight.
  • 金波。
    Shī rén yòng jīn bō lái xíng róng yuè sè.
    The poet used 'golden waves' to describe the moonlight.
  • 金波，。
    jīn bō Dàng yàng, yè sè mí rén.
    The moonlight rippled, and the night was enchanting.

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.

金jīngolden
波bōwaves

金 (golden) and 波 (waves) picture moonlight shimmering on water.

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.

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí波bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 皮 gives the sound.

Open 波 →

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