两鬓 (liǎng bìn) — hair on the temples

Definition

Literary word for the hair on the temples, almost always used in writing about greying or aging (e.g. 两鬓斑白). Not used in everyday speech — for 'temples' in plain talk, say 太阳穴.

noun
hair on the temples

Examples

  • 两鬓。
    Tā de liǎng bìn yǐ jīng huā bái le.
    His hair on the temples has already turned grey.
  • 两鬓。
    Fù qīn de liǎng bìn tiān le bù shǎo bái fà.
    Father's temples have added quite a bit of white hair.
  • 两鬓。
    Tā qīng qīng shū lǐ zhe liǎng bìn de suì fā.
    She gently combed the stray hairs on her temples.

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.

两liǎngtwo
鬓bìntemples

两 two and 鬓 temples combine to mean the hair at both temples.

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.

Open 两 →

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 鬢; 鬓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
髟髟biāohair
Sound part声符shēngfú
賓
賓bīn鬢bìn
Same sound today

The traditional form 鬢 pairs 髟 (hair) with 賓 as a sound part; the simplified 鬓 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 鬓 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.