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银币 (yín bì) — silver coin

Definition

noun
silver coin
Measure word · 枚

Examples

  • 银币。
    Tā shōu cáng le xǔ duō gǔ dài yín bì.
    He collected many ancient silver coins.
  • 银币。
    Zhè méi yín bì shàng yǒu yì duǒ huā wén.
    This silver coin has a floral pattern on it.
  • ，银币。
    Yì bǎi nián qián, rén men cháng yòng yín bì mǎi dōng xī.
    A hundred years ago, people often bought things with silver coins.

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.

银yínsilver
币bìcoin

银 silver and 币 coin combine to mean a coin made of silver.

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 銀; 银 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn銀yín
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 銀 has 金, meaning metal, and 艮, used for the sound; the simplified 银 is a shorthand.

Open 银 →

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 幣; 币 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì幣bì
Same sound today

The traditional form 幣 combines 敝 (which gives the sound) and 巾 (cloth), and meant silk given as a gift or sacrifice; the simplified 币 is a shorthand.

Open 币 →
Appears in
Money & Currency

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