坟堆 (fén duī) — grave mound, burial mound

Definition

noun

grave moundburial mound

Measure word · 个

坟堆。
Shān shàng yǒu hěn duō gǔ dài fén duī.
There are many ancient grave mounds on the mountain.
坟堆。
Kǎo gǔ xué jiā fā xiàn le jǐ gè fén duī.
Archaeologists discovered several burial mounds.
坟堆。
Nà piàn dì lǐ yǒu yí gè hěn dà de fén duī.
There is a large grave mound in that field.

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.

坟堆 is the heap or mound that forms above a grave, with 坟 marking the grave and 堆 the heap.

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 墳; 坟 is its simplified writing.

土賁墳

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

賁

賁bì墳fén

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 墳, 土 shows the meaning and 賁 gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

土隹堆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

隹

隹zhuī堆duī

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堆 is built from 土 (earth) and 隹, which supplies the sound.