喷涂 (pēn tú) — to spray, to spray-paint

Definition

A technical verb meaning to spray-paint (paint, coating, etc. onto a surface). Pairs with objects like 油漆 (paint) and 家具 (furniture); more industrial than everyday 喷.

verb
to sprayto spray-paint

Examples

  • 喷涂。
    Gōng rén zhèng zài qiáng shàng pēn tú yóu qī.
    The workers are spray-painting the wall.
  • 喷涂。
    Zhè zhǒng jī qì kě yǐ yòng lái pēn tú jiā jù.
    This machine can be used to spray-paint furniture.
  • 喷涂。
    Tā xué huì le rú hé pēn tú qì chē.
    He learned how to spray-paint cars.

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.

喷pēnspray
涂túapply

喷 means spray and 涂 means apply, so together they describe spraying paint.

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 噴; 喷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
賁
賁bì噴pēn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 噴 pairs 口, mouth, with 賁 for the sound; the simplified 喷 is a later shorthand.

Open 喷 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú涂tú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

涂 has 氵 on the left, a form of 水 meaning water, and 余 on the right for the sound.

Open 涂 →

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