壁纸 (bì zhǐ) — wallpaper | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

wallpaper

Measure word · 张

Examples

壁纸。
Tā xǐ huan zài wò shì tiē bì zhǐ.
She likes to put up wallpaper in the bedroom.
壁纸。
Zhè zhǒng bì zhǐ de huā wén hěn piào liang.
The pattern on this kind of wallpaper is very beautiful.
壁纸。
Wǒ dǎ suàn bǎ kè tīng de bì zhǐ huàn yí xià.
I plan to change the wallpaper in the living room.

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.

壁 is wall and 纸 is paper, so the word means paper for walls.

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.

土辟壁

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

辟

辟pì壁bì

Same sound today

壁 combines 土 (earth) and 辟, which gives the sound. The whole means an earthen wall.

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 紙; 纸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

氏

氏shì紙zhǐ

Same sound today

For 纸, the traditional form 紙 combines 糸 (silk) with 氏 (the sound part).

Appears in

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