不干胶 (bú gàn jiāo) — adhesive sticker; self-adhesive label

Definition

A self-adhesive label or sticker — coated with glue on the back so it sticks without moistening. Distinct from 普通贴纸: 不干胶 emphasizes the adhesive backing itself, often used in packaging and shipping labels.

noun
adhesive stickerself-adhesive label
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 不干胶。
    Qǐng gěi wǒ yì zhāng bú gàn jiāo.
    Please give me an adhesive sticker.
  • 不干胶。
    Zhè ge xiāng zi shàng tiē le yì zhāng bú gàn jiāo biāo qiān.
    A self-adhesive label is stuck on this box.
  • 不干胶。
    Tā zài xìn fēng shàng tiē le sān zhāng bú gàn jiāo.
    He put three adhesive stickers on the envelope.

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.

不干not dry
不bùnot干gāndry
偏正Modifier + head
胶jiāoglue

不 'not' + 干 'dry' + 胶 'glue' names glue that stays not dry, a self-adhesive label.

Characters in this word

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

The simplified 干 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (饼干, 干杯) it is 乾; in others (干, 干活儿) (干扰) it is 幹 or 干.

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 乾; 干 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乙乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
倝
倝gàn乾gān
Same sound today
Open 干 →

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 膠; 胶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat; flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
翏
翏liù膠jiāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 膠 pairs ⺼ (meat; flesh) with 翏, which gives the sound.

Open 胶 →

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