体操 (tǐ cāo) — gymnastics | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

体操 is gymnastics as a specific sport or activity (floor, bars, etc.). 体育 is the broader 'sports / physical education' category.

noun

gymnastics

Measure word · 场

体操。
Wǒ mèi mei cóng wǔ suì kāi shǐ xué xí tǐ cāo.
My sister started learning gymnastics at age five.
体操。
tǐ cāo Shì yí xiàng fēi cháng yōu měi de yùn dòng.
Gymnastics is a very graceful sport.
体操。
Tā cān jiā le quán guó tǐ cāo jǐn biāo sài.
He participated in the national gymnastics championships.

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.

操cāoexercise

体 as body and 操 as exercise combine to name exercises of the body.

Characters in this word

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

骨豊體

Meaning part形符xíngfú

骨骨gǔbone

Sound part声符shēngfú

豊

豊lǐ體tǐ

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

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

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

喿

喿zào操cāo

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

The left part 手 shows a hand, indicating an action done by hand. The right part 喿 gives the sound.

Appears in