博物院 (bó wù yuàn) — museum (typically a large, comprehensive museum, often with historical/cultural focus)

Definition

noun
museum (typically a large, comprehensive museum, often with historical/cultural focus)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 博物院。
    Wǒ men míng tiān qù cān guān gù gōng bó wù yuàn.
    We are going to visit the Palace Museum tomorrow.
  • 博物院。
    Zhè zuò bó wù yuàn shōu cáng le hěn duō zhēn guì wén wù.
    This museum houses many precious cultural relics.
  • 博物院。
    bó wù yuàn De kāi fàng shí jiān shì shàng wǔ jiǔ diǎn dào xià wǔ wǔ diǎn.
    The museum's opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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.

博物broad objects
博bóbroad物wùthings
偏正Modifier + head
院yuàninstitution

博 (broad) and 物 (things) describe many objects, and 院 denotes the place where they are kept.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
十十shíten
Sound part声符shēngfú
尃
尃fū博
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from combining 十 (ten) with 尃; 尃 gives the sound.

Open 博 →

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
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.