光秃秃 (guāng tū tū) — bare, bald (describes a completely uncovered surface — hill, tree, head, ground)

Definition

Reduplicated adjective (often before 的) for a surface that is completely stripped of cover — no leaves, hair, or vegetation. It is the vivid, onomatopoeia-like form (think 'bald bald'); use it for emphasis rather than plain 秃.

bound form
barebald (describes a completely uncovered surface — hill, tree, head, ground)

Examples

  • ，，光秃秃。
    Dōng tiān dào le, shù shàng de yè zi dōu diào guāng le, zhī shèng xià guāng tū tū de shù zhī.
    Winter came, all the leaves fell off the tree, leaving only bare branches.
  • ，光秃秃，。
    Tā tì le guāng tóu, nǎo dài guāng tū tū de, kàn qǐ lái hěn yǒu qù.
    He shaved his head; his scalp is completely bald, which looks quite funny.
  • 光秃秃，。
    Zhè piàn tǔ dì guāng tū tū de, shén me zhí wù dōu bù cháng.
    This stretch of land is barren — nothing grows on it.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

光guāngbare
秃秃vividly bare
秃tūbare秃tūbare
重叠Reduplication

光 means bare, and 秃秃 adds a vivid sense of complete bareness.

Characters in this word

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 禿; 秃 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 禿 puts 毛 (hair) with 儿 (person), showing a person with little or no hair. The simplified 秃 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the historical picture.

Open 秃 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 禿; 秃 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 禿 puts 毛 (hair) with 儿 (person), showing a person with little or no hair. The simplified 秃 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the historical picture.

Open 秃 →

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