巴尔干半岛 (Bā ěr gān Bàn dǎo) — Balkan Peninsula

Definition

noun
Balkan Peninsula

Examples

  • 巴尔干半岛，。
    Bā ěr gān Bàn dǎo Wèi yú ōu zhōu dōng nán bù, shì ōu zhōu zhòng yào de dì lǐ qū yù zhī yī.
    The Balkan Peninsula is located in southeastern Europe and is one of Europe's important geographical regions.
  • ，巴尔干半岛。
    Lì shǐ shàng, Bā ěr gān Bàn dǎo céng jīng shì duō zhǒng wén míng jiāo huì de dì fāng.
    Historically, the Balkan Peninsula was a place where multiple civilizations converged.
  • 巴尔干半岛。
    Tā jì huà míng nián xià tiān qù Bā ěr gān Bàn dǎo lǚ xíng.
    He plans to travel to the Balkan Peninsula next summer.

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.

巴尔干Balkan
巴bā尔ěr干gān
半岛peninsula
半bànhalf岛dǎoisland
偏正Modifier + head

巴尔干 spells Balkan, and 半岛 gives peninsula, together naming the Balkan Peninsula.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 巴 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 爾; 尔 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 爾, simplified as 尔, originally drew cloth on a loom with crossing threads. It was borrowed for its sound to write “you,” so the picture is unrelated to that meaning.

Open 尔 →

The simplified 干 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (饼干, 干杯) it is 乾; in others (干, 干活儿) (干扰) it is 幹 or 干.

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 乾; 干 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乙乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
倝
倝gàn乾gān
Same sound today
Open 干 →

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

The shape pairs 八 (to divide) with 牛 (cow), showing a cow cut into two halves.

Open 半 →

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 島; 岛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
鳥
鳥niǎo島dǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 島 uses 山, meaning mountain, and 鳥 for the sound. The simplified 岛 is a later shorthand.

Open 岛 →

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