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小伙伴 (xiǎo huǒ bàn) — buddy, pal, companion (colloquial term for a friend or close associate)

Definition

Casual, friendly word for a close friend or companion — warmer and more playful than the neutral 朋友, and almost always used for peers around your own age. Pluralize by adding 们 (小伙伴们), as in the examples.

noun
buddypalcompanion (colloquial term for a friend or close associate)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 小伙伴。
    Tā shì wǒ de hǎo xiǎo huǒ bàn.
    He is my good buddy.
  • 小伙伴，？
    xiǎo huǒ bàn Men, jīn tiān qù nǎ r wán?
    Hey buddies, where are we going to play today?
  • 小伙伴。
    Wǒ hé jǐ gè xiǎo huǒ bàn yì qǐ qù le běi jīng.
    I went to Beijing with a few buddies.

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.

小xiǎosmall
伙伴companion
伙huǒcompanion伴bàncompanion
联合Coordinate

小 adds small or friendly, while 伙 and 伴 both give companion, making a buddy.

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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 夥; 伙 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 伙 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (大伙儿, 伙) it is 夥; in others (小伙子) it is 伙.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
多多duō
Sound part声符shēngfú
果
果guǒ夥huǒ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 夥 combines 多 (many) with 果 as a sound part. The simplified 伙 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 伙 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn伴bàn
Same sound today

伴 puts 亻 (person) beside 半. The person part fits the meaning of companion, and 半 gives the sound.

Open 伴 →
Appears in
Friends & Social

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