孟加拉湾 (Mèng jiā lā Wān) — Bay of Bengal

Definition

noun

Bay of Bengal

Examples

孟加拉湾。
Mèng jiā lā Wān Shì yìn dù yáng běi bù de yí gè hǎi wān.
The Bay of Bengal is a gulf in the northern Indian Ocean.
孟加拉湾。
Shàng ge yuè wǒ zuò chuán qù le Mèng jiā lā Wān.
Last month I took a boat to the Bay of Bengal.
孟加拉湾。
Mèng jiā lā Wān Fù jìn yǒu hěn duō měi lì de dǎo yǔ.
There are many beautiful islands near the Bay of Bengal.

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.

孟加拉Bengal

孟mèng加jiā拉lā

音译Transliteration

湾wānbay

孟加拉 spells Bengal, and 湾 means bay, so together they name the Bay of Bengal.

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.

子皿孟

Meaning part形符xíngfú

子子zǐchild; son

Sound part声符shēngfú

皿

皿mǐn孟mèng

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

孟 uses 子 (child; son) for the idea of a child or son, and 皿 gives the sound.

Open 孟 →

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

力口加

力力lìstrength
口口kǒumouth

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

立

立lì拉lā

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

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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 灣; 湾 is its simplified writing.