哑铃 (yǎ líng) — dumbbell

Definition

noun
dumbbell
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 哑铃。
    Tā měi tiān yòng yǎ líng duàn liàn shǒu bì jī ròu.
    He uses dumbbells every day to exercise his arm muscles.
  • 哑铃，。
    Zhè duì yǎ líng tài zhòng le, wǒ jǔ bù qǐ lái.
    This pair of dumbbells is too heavy; I can't lift them.
  • 哑铃。
    Jiàn shēn fáng lǐ yǒu hěn duō bù tóng zhòng liàng de yǎ líng.
    There are many dumbbells of different weights in the gym.

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.

哑yǎsoundless
铃língbell

“哑” means soundless and “铃” is a bell, naming a silent bell-like weight.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 啞; 哑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
亞
亞yā啞
Same sound today

In the traditional form 啞, 口 shows the idea of mouth, and 亞 supplies the pronunciation; the simplified 哑 is a later shorthand.

Open 哑 →

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 鈴; 铃 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng鈴líng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鈴 pairs 金 (metal) with 令 as a sound part; the simplified 铃 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 铃 →
Appears in
Fitness & Exercise

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