垒球 (lěi qiú) — softball (sport or ball) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

softball (sport or ball)

Measure word · 个

Examples

垒球。
Tā měi gè zhōu mò dōu qù dǎ lěi qiú.
He goes to play softball every weekend.
垒球。
Zhè chǎng bǐ sài yòng de shì xīn lěi qiú.
This game uses a new softball.
垒球。
Tā jiā rù le xué xiào de lěi qiú duì.
She joined the school's softball team.

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.

垒 names the bases, and 球 is the ball used in the game.

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 壘; 垒 is its simplified writing.

畾土壘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔdirt

Sound part声符shēngfú

畾

畾léi壘lěi

Same sound today

The traditional 壘 has 土 (dirt) and 畾 as a sound part; the simplified 垒 is a later shorthand.

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

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

求

求qiú球qiú

Same sound today

球 is built from 玉, meaning jade, and 求, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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