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靠边 (kào biān) — (v.o.) to pull over (vehicle); to keep to the side; (v.o.) to step aside; to get out of the way; (v.o.) to be close to (the truth/standard); to be near

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'pull over / step aside' (a vehicle, a person) or, figuratively, 'be close to the truth or standard.' The 把 construction is common when moving a vehicle.

verb
(v.o.) to pull over (vehicle)to keep to the side(v.o.) to step asideto get out of the way(v.o.) to be close to (the truth/standard)to be near

Examples

  • 靠边。
    Qǐng bǎ chē kào biān tíng hǎo.
    Please pull the car over and park properly.
  • 靠边，。
    Tā bǎ chē kào biān le, rán hòu xià chē jiǎn chá.
    He pulled the car over and then got out to check.
  • ，靠边。
    Tā yīn wèi zuò cuò shì, xiàn zài kào biān zhàn le.
    He was sidelined because he did something wrong.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

靠kàolean/keep to
边biānside

靠 means lean or keep to and 边 means side, so 靠边 is to keep to the side.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
非非fēi
Sound part声符shēngfú
告
告gào靠kào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

靠 is made of 告 and 非: 告 gives the sound, and 非 gives the meaning.

Open 靠 →

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →
Appears in
Roads & Traffic

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