催泪弹 (cuī lèi dàn) — tear gas bomb | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

tear gas bomb

Measure word · 颗

Examples

催泪弹。
Jǐng chá shǐ yòng cuī lèi dàn lái qū sàn rén qún.
The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
催泪弹。
Zhè zhǒng cuī lèi dàn de wēi lì hěn dà.
This type of tear gas bomb is very powerful.
催泪弹。
Chōng tū zhōng yǒu rén tóu zhì le cuī lèi dàn.
Someone threw a tear gas bomb during the conflict.

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.

催泪tear-inducing

催cuīcause泪lèitears

动宾Verb + object

“催泪” means causing tears, and “弹” is a bomb, so it names a bomb that makes people cry.

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.

亻崔催

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

崔

崔cuī催cuī

Same sound today

催 combines 亻, the person part, with 崔, which gives the sound.

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 淚; 泪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

戾

戾lì淚lèi

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 淚 uses 水 (water) and 戾 for sound; this describes 淚, not 泪.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

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

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Appears in

Crime & Police Military & Defense

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