外婆 (wài pó) — maternal grandmother | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Maternal grandmother (mother's mother). Paired with 外公; 姥姥 is a northern colloquial variant. 奶奶 is the paternal side.

noun

maternal grandmother

Measure word · 位

Examples

外婆。
Wǒ wài pó jīn nián qī shí suì le.
My maternal grandmother is seventy years old this year.
外婆。
wài pó Gěi wǒ zhī le yí jiàn máo yī.
My maternal grandmother knitted a sweater for me.
外婆。
Fàng jià shí wǒ men qù kàn wài pó.
We'll go visit my maternal grandmother during the holiday.

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.

外wàimaternal

婆pógrandmother

外 marks the mother's side, and 婆 means grandmother.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

月

月yuè外wài

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

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

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

波女婆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

女女nǚwoman

Sound part声符shēngfú

波

波bō婆pó

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

婆 pairs 女 (woman) with 波, which gives the sound. The 女 part shows the character is about a woman.

Appears in

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