剥落 (bō luò) — to peel off, to flake off (of paint, plaster, skin, etc.)

Definition

An intransitive verb meaning a surface layer comes off on its own (paint, plaster, skin) — peeling or flaking from within, not something you peel by hand.

verb
to peel offto flake off (of paint, plaster, skin, etc.)

Examples

  • 剥落。
    Qiáng shàng de shí huī yǐ jīng bō luò le yí dà piàn.
    A large patch of plaster on the wall has already flaked off.
  • 剥落。
    Zhè zhāng jiù huà biǎo miàn de yán liào zhèng zài màn màn bō luò.
    The paint on the surface of this old painting is slowly peeling off.
  • ，剥落，。
    Bào shài hòu, chē qī kāi shǐ bō luò, xū yào chóng xīn pēn qī.
    After prolonged sun exposure, the car paint started to peel and needs to be resprayed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

剥bāopeel
落luòfall off

剥 and 落 together picture something peeled and falling away.

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 剝; 剥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù剝bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 剝 uses 彔 for its sound and 刂, a knife; the simplified 剥 is a later shorthand.

Open 剥 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
洛
洛luò落luò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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