号码 (hào mǎ) — number (e.g. phone number, room number) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

号码 is a specific identifying number (phone number, room number). Pairs with 数字, which means an abstract number or digit. Use 电话号码, 房间号码, 身份证号码.

noun

number (e.g. phone number, room number)

Measure word · 堆, 个

Examples

号码。
Qǐng gào sù wǒ nǐ de diàn huà hào mǎ.
Please tell me your phone number.
号码？
Zhè ge hào mǎ shì jǐ hào fáng jiān?
What room number is this?
号码，。
Jì xià zhè ge hào mǎ, yǐ hòu yòng.
Write down this number and use it later.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

号 and 码 both refer to signs or numbers, so together they mean a number.

Characters in this word

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

口丂号

口口kǒumouth
丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

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 碼; 码 is its simplified writing.

石馬碼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone; rock

Sound part声符shēngfú

馬

馬mǎ碼mǎ

Same sound today

The traditional form 碼 pairs 石 (stone) with 馬 for its sound; the simplified 码 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 3 HSK 2.0 Level 4 Numbers & Counting 2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words 3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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