小棚 (xiǎo péng) — small shed, small shack | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

small shedsmall shack

Measure word · 个

Examples

小棚。
Tā zài hòu yuàn dā le yí gè xiǎo péng.
He built a small shed in the backyard.
小棚。
xiǎo péng Lǐ fàng le hěn duō gōng jù.
Many tools are stored in the small shed.
小棚。
Zhè ge cài yuán páng biān yǒu yí gè xiǎo péng.
There is a small shed next to this vegetable garden.

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 gives the size sense, and 棚 denotes a shed or shack.

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.

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

木朋棚

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

朋

朋péng棚péng

Same sound today

棚 pairs 木 (tree) with 朋, and 朋 gives the sound.

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