前臂 (qián bì) — forearm

Definition

noun
forearm
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 前臂,。
    Wǒ de qián bì hěn suān, kě néng yīn wèi jǔ le tài duō dōng xī.
    My forearm is very sore, probably because I lifted too many things.
  • ,前臂。
    Tā měi tiān zuò fǔ wò chēng, qián bì de jī ròu hěn jiē shi.
    He does push-ups every day, so his forearm muscles are very firm.
  • 前臂,。
    Yī shēng qīng qīng àn le àn tā de qián bì, wèn tā téng bu téng.
    The doctor gently pressed his forearm and asked if it hurt.

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.

「前」 means front and 「臂」 means arm, pointing to the front part of the arm.

Characters in this word

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

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

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
肉肉ròumeat; flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
辟
辟pì臂bei
Same sound today

臂 includes 肉, meaning meat or flesh, and 辟, which gives the character its sound.

Open 臂 →
Appears in

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