塘边 (táng biān) — pond side; by the pond

Definition

noun
pond sideby the pond

Examples

  • 塘边。
    Wǒ men zài táng biān sàn bù.
    We took a walk by the pond.
  • 塘边。
    táng biān Yǒu hěn duō hé huā.
    There are many lotuses by the pond.
  • 塘边。
    Tā zuò zài táng biān diào yú.
    He sat by the pond fishing.

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.

塘tángpond
边biānside

塘 is a pond, and 边 is its side, giving the area by the pond.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
唐
唐táng塘táng
Same sound today

塘 combines 土, meaning dirt, with 唐, which gives the sound.

Open 塘 →

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →

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