东柏林 (dōng bó lín) — East Berlin

Definition

Refers specifically to East Berlin, the former Soviet-sector capital of divided Germany during the Cold War. A historical/geographic proper noun used in that political context, not a modern city name.

noun
East Berlin

Examples

  • 东柏林。
    Wǒ qù nián qù le dōng bó lín.
    I went to East Berlin last year.
  • 东柏林。
    dōng bó lín Shì lěng zhàn shí qī de zhòng yào chéng shì.
    East Berlin was an important city during the Cold War.
  • 东柏林？
    Nǐ zhī dào dōng bó lín de lì shǐ ma?
    Do you know the history of East Berlin?

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.

东dōngeast
柏林Berlin
柏bǎi林lín

东 gives east, while 柏林 spells Berlin as a whole, so the name means East Berlin.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 東; 东 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 東 originally drew a full bag tied at both ends. The simplified 东 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 东 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái柏bǎi
Same sound today

柏 pairs 木, showing a tree, with 白, which gives the sound.

Open 柏 →

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

林 is made of two 木 (tree) placed side by side, showing many trees together, hence a forest.

Open 林 →

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