填表 (tián biǎo) — to fill in/out a form (separable verb)

Definition

A separable verb: 填 (fill in) + 表 (form). Insert a result or directional complement between the two — 填好表, 填了一份表, 表填好了.

verb

to fill in/out a form (separable verb)

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

填 means to fill and 表 means form; together they mean fill in a form.

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.

土真填

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

真

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

填 combines 土 (soil) with 真, which gives the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Appears in