三角裤 (sān jiǎo kù) — briefs; panties

Definition

noun
briefspanties
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 三角裤。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì tiáo sān jiǎo kù.
    I bought a pair of briefs.
  • 三角裤。
    Zhè tiáo sān jiǎo kù shì chún mián de.
    These briefs are 100% cotton.
  • 三角裤。
    Tā xǐ huan chuān sān jiǎo kù.
    He likes to wear briefs.

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.

三角triangle
三sānthree角jiǎoangle
偏正Modifier + head
裤kùpants

“三角” gives the three-angled shape, and “裤” is the pants, meaning pants with that shape.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Open 三 →

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

The form 角 is a picture of a horn.

Open 角 →

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 褲; 裤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothing
Sound part声符shēngfú
庫
庫kù褲
Same sound today

The traditional form 褲 pairs 衣 (clothing) with 庫 for its sound. The simplified 裤 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 裤 →

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