喷漆 (pēn qī) — to spray paint, to spray lacquer

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to spray paint or lacquer' (e.g. a car, furniture). Unlike 漆 qī (the noun 'lacquer/paint'), 喷漆 focuses on the action of spraying, often taking a direct object or using 给 to mark the surface being painted.

verb
to spray paintto spray lacquer

Examples

  • 喷漆。
    Tā zhèng zài gěi jiā jù pēn qī.
    He is spraying paint on the furniture.
  • ，。
    Tā pēn le yí cì qī, xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
    He sprayed once, and the effect was very good.
  • ，。
    Nà liàng chē gāng pēn guò qī, bié pèng tā.
    That car was just spray-painted — don't touch it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

喷pēnspray
漆qīlacquer/paint

喷 means spray, and 漆 is lacquer or paint; together they describe spraying lacquer onto something.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
桼
桼qī漆qī
Same sound today

漆 adds 水 (water) to 桼 (resin used to make varnish), which was the earlier form of the word.

Open 漆 →

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