颇具 (pō jù) — to have quite a lot of; to be endowed with (a quality)

Definition

verb
to have quite a lot ofto be endowed with (a quality)

Examples

  • 颇具。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī pō jù shí lì.
    This company has considerable strength.
  • 颇具。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng pō jù gǎn rǎn lì.
    His speech has great appeal.
  • 颇具。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù pō jù tiǎo zhàn xìng.
    This project is quite challenging.

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.

颇pōquite
具jùhave

颇 gives the sense of quite, and 具 gives the sense of have, so the meaning is to have quite a lot.

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 頗; 颇 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí頗pō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頗 pairs 皮 as a sound part with 頁 as a meaning part; the simplified 颇 is a later shorthand.

Open 颇 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

具 pairs 廾 (two hands) with 鼎 (a cauldron), showing hands working with a cauldron to prepare food.

Open 具 →

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