铅块 (qiān kuài) — block or piece of lead (the metal)

Definition

noun
block or piece of lead (the metal)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 铅块。
    Gōng rén bǎ qiān kuài fàng zài jī qì shàng.
    The worker placed the lead block on the machine.
  • 铅块，。
    Zhè xiē qiān kuài hěn zhòng, xū yào liǎng gè rén bān.
    These lead blocks are very heavy; two people are needed to carry them.
  • 铅块。
    Tā yòng qiān kuài zuò le yí fù diào yú de zhuì zi.
    He used a piece of lead to make a set of fishing sinkers.

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.

铅qiānlead
块kuàiblock

铅 means lead and 块 means block; the phrase names a block made of lead.

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 鉛; 铅 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
㕣
㕣㕣鉛qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 鉛 pairs 金 (metal) with 㕣 as a sound part.

Open 铅 →

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 塊; 块 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth; dust
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬼
鬼guǐ塊kuài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 塊 pairs 土 (earth; dust) with 鬼 as a sound part to show a clod of dirt. The simplified 块 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 块 →

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