两旁 (liǎng páng) — both sides; either side (of a road, river, etc.)

Definition

noun

both sideseither side (of a road, river, etc.)

两旁。
Dào lù liǎng páng zhǒng mǎn le gāo dà de wú tóng shù.
Both sides of the road are planted with tall plane trees.
两旁。
Hé de liǎng páng shì lǜ yóu yóu de dào tián.
On both sides of the river are green rice fields.
两旁，。
Qǐng bǎ chē tíng zài jiē dào liǎng páng, bú yào dǎng lù.
Please park your car on either side of the street, don't block the road.

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.

两 gives both, and 旁 gives sides.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 兩; 两 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 兩 is described as combining 一 and 㒳. The simplified 两 is a later abbreviation.

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

方

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 旁, 方 is the lower part and gives the sound. The upper part is unclear and may have been part of the meaning.