小辈 (xiǎo bèi) — younger member of a family; junior (in terms of generation or age)

Definition

小辈 refers to a younger-generation member of a family or clan — a junior in age or lineage. It pairs naturally with 长辈, the corresponding word for elders/seniors of the family.

noun
younger member of a familyjunior (in terms of generation or age)

Examples

  • ，小辈。
    Zài jiā zú jù huì shàng, xiǎo bèi yào gěi zhǎng bèi jìng jiǔ.
    At family gatherings, the younger members should toast the elders.
  • 小辈，。
    Zuò wéi xiǎo bèi, nǐ yīng gāi duō tīng tīng zhǎng bèi de yì jiàn.
    As a junior, you should listen more to the opinions of your elders.
  • 小辈，。
    Tā suī rán shì xiǎo bèi, dàn zuò shì hěn yǒu fēn cùn.
    Although he is a younger member of the family, he acts with great propriety.

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xiǎoyounger
辈bèigeneration

小 means younger and 辈 means generation, naming a junior family member.

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 輩; 辈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jū
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi輩bèi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輩 pairs 車 (vehicle) with 非, which gives the sound; this describes 輩, not the simplified 辈.

Open 辈 →

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