钱包 (qián bāo) — purse; wallet | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

pursewallet

Measure word · 个

Examples

钱包。
Wǒ de qián bāo lǐ méi yǒu duō shǎo qián.
There isn't much money in my wallet.
钱包。
Tā bǎ qián bāo wàng zài bàn gōng shì le.
He left his wallet in the office.
钱包。
Zhè ge qián bāo shì mā ma sòng gěi wǒ de shēng rì lǐ wù.
This wallet is a birthday gift from my mother.

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.

钱 money and 包 bag together name a small bag for money.

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 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.

金戔錢

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal; gold; money

Sound part声符shēngfú

戔

戔jiān錢qián

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 錢 combines 金, meaning metal or money, with 戔, which gives the sound; the simplified 钱 is a later shorthand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 包 pictures a fetus in a womb, or a baby wrapped in cloth.

Appears in

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