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半身 (bàn shēn) — half of the body (upper/lower or left/right)

Definition

Refers to half of the body (upper, lower, or one side). Most often used in compounds like 半身像 (half-length portrait) and 半身不遂 (paralysis of one side of the body).

noun
half of the body (upper/lower or left/right)

Examples

  • ，半身。
    Tā yīn wèi shēng bìng, bàn shēn bù néng dòng le.
    Because of illness, half of his body cannot move.
  • 。
    Zhè fú huà shì tā de bàn shēn xiàng.
    This painting is a half-length portrait of him.
  • ，，半身。
    Xuě bēng hòu, tā bèi mái zài xuě lǐ, bàn shēn lù zài wài miàn.
    After the avalanche, he was buried in snow, with half his body exposed.

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.

半bànhalf
身shēnbody

半 (half) and 身 (body) combine to mean half of the body.

Characters in this word

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

The shape pairs 八 (to divide) with 牛 (cow), showing a cow cut into two halves.

Open 半 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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