勃勃 (bó bó) — (suffix used after certain nouns/adjectives) th…

Definition

A bound suffix used after a short noun (生气, 兴致, 野心) to mean 'full of, brimming with' — usually paired with 勃勃 rather than standing alone.

bound form

(suffix used after certain nouns/adjectives) thrivingvigorousbursting with

，。
Chūn tiān lái le, dà dì yí piàn shēng jī bó bó.
Spring has come, and the earth is bursting with vitality.
。
Tā xìng zhì bó bó dì cān jiā le bǐ sài.
He joined the competition in high spirits.
。
Nà ge nián qīng shāng rén yě xīn bó bó.
That young businessman is driven by ambition.

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

勃bóvigorous; flourishing

The two 勃 together build a vivid sense of vigorous flourishing, bursting with life.

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.

孛力勃

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìpower

Sound part声符shēngfú

孛

孛bèi勃⁰bó

Same sound today

勃 pairs 力, which carries the sense of power or force, with 孛 as a sound part.