套裤 (tào kù) — leggings (worn over trousers, a traditional Chinese garment)

Definition

套裤 (tàokù) are traditional Chinese outer leggings worn over regular trousers for warmth — basically 'trouser overalls' or 'outer leg coverings', not modern stretchy leggings.

noun
leggings (worn over trousers, a traditional Chinese garment)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 套裤。
    Tā chuān zhuó yì tiáo hēi sè tào kù chū mén le.
    He went out wearing a pair of black leggings.
  • 套裤。
    Zhè zhǒng tào kù zài běi fāng nóng cūn hěn cháng jiàn.
    This kind of leggings is very common in northern rural areas.
  • 套裤。
    Mā ma gěi wǒ zuò le yì tiáo xīn de tào kù.
    Mom made me a new pair of leggings.

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.

套tàocover
裤kùtrousers

套 suggests covering or putting over, and 裤 means trousers; together they name leggings worn over pants.

Characters in this word

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

  • 大大dàlarge
  • 長長chánglong

套 is made from 大 (large) and 長 (long), originally for something long, with some reference to hair; it later came to mean a cover or a linked group.

Open 套 →

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 褲; 裤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothing
Sound part声符shēngfú
庫
庫kù褲
Same sound today

The traditional form 褲 pairs 衣 (clothing) with 庫 for its sound. The simplified 裤 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 裤 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.