厚薄 (hòu báo) — thickness (of an object); (figurative) degree of generosity or favor in treatment; munificence vs parsimony

Definition

A paired noun meaning 'thickness' (literal: how thick or thin something is) and, figuratively, the degree of bias or favor shown in treatment — as in 不分厚薄 ('no favoritism').

noun
thickness (of an object)(figurative) degree of generosity or favor in treatmentmunificence vs parsimony

Examples

  • 厚薄，。
    Zhè běn shū de hòu báo zhèng hǎo, bú hòu yě bù báo.
    The thickness of this book is just right — neither too thick nor too thin.
  • 厚薄，。
    Tā duì shuí dōu méi yǒu hòu báo, duì dà jiā dōu yí yàng hǎo.
    He shows no partiality to anyone — he treats everyone equally well.
  • 厚薄，，。
    Mǎi yī fu shí yào zhù yì hòu báo, xià tiān chuān báo de, dōng tiān chuān hòu de.
    When buying clothes, pay attention to the thickness: wear thin ones in summer and thick ones in winter.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

厚hòuthick
薄báothin

厚 means thick and 薄 means thin, joined to refer to the degree of thickness or thinness.

Characters in this word

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

  • 厂厂chǎngcliff; cave on a cliff
  • 𣆪𣆪𣆪jug

The shape of 厚 puts 𣆪, a jug, beneath 厂, a cliff or cave.

Open 厚 →

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
溥
溥pǔ薄báo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

薄 combines 艹, a grass part, with 溥 as the sound part.

Open 薄 →

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