骨灰盒 (gǔ huī hé) — urn (for cremated remains) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

urn (for cremated remains)

Measure word · 个

Examples

骨灰盒。
Tā bǎ zǔ fù de gǔ huī hé fàng zài le líng táng lǐ.
He placed his grandfather's urn in the memorial hall.
骨灰盒。
Zhè jiā diàn mài gè zhǒng cái zhì de gǔ huī hé.
This store sells urns made of various materials.
骨灰盒。
Tā men bǎ gǔ huī hé mái zài le mù dì.
They buried the urn in the cemetery.

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.

骨灰bone ash

骨gǔbone灰huīash

偏正Modifier + head

骨灰 means bone ash, and 盒 is a box, together naming an urn.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

冎

冎guǎ骨gǔ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

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

又又yòuhand
火火huǒfire

灰 shows 火 (fire) that can be touched by 又 (hand), meaning ash.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

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