防弹衣 (fáng dàn yī) — bulletproof vest, body armor | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

bulletproof vestbody armor

Measure word · 件

Examples

防弹衣。
Tā chuān le yí jiàn fáng dàn yī.
He wore a bulletproof vest.
防弹衣。
Jǐng chá zài zhí xíng rèn wu shí dōu chuān zhuó fáng dàn yī.
Police wear bulletproof vests while on duty.
防弹衣。
Zhè zhǒng fáng dàn yī kě yǐ dǎng zhù shǒu qiāng zǐ dàn.
This type of bulletproof vest can stop handgun bullets.

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.

防弹stop bullets

防fángprevent弹tánbullet

动宾Verb + object

衣yīclothing

防弹 (stop bullets) + 衣 (clothing) makes clothing that stops bullets.

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.

阝方防

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

方fāng防fáng

Same sound today

防 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) with 方, which gives the sound.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

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

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

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

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.

Appears in

Clothing Military & Defense

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