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工棚 (gōng péng) — temporary shed for construction workers; work shed

Definition

A temporary shed built on a construction site where workers rest, eat, and store tools. It is a rough, makeshift structure, not a finished building.

noun
temporary shed for construction workerswork shed
Measure word · 间

Examples

  • 工棚。
    gōng péng Shì jiàn zhù gōng dì shàng cháng jiàn de lín shí jiàn zhù.
    A work shed is a common temporary structure on construction sites.
  • 工棚。
    Gōng rén men zài gōng péng lǐ xiū xi hé chī fàn.
    The workers rest and eat in the work shed.
  • 工棚，。
    Zhè ge gōng péng suī rán jiǎn lòu, dàn néng zhē fēng dǎng yǔ.
    Although this work shed is crude, it can shelter from wind and rain.

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.

工gōngwork
棚péngshed

“工” (work) and “棚” (shed) mean a temporary shed for work.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 工 is a picture of a bladed tool used to plow ground or mark a border; some read it as a carpenter's square.

Open 工 →

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
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.

Open 棚 →
Appears in
Buildings & Structures

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