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平底鞋 (píng dǐ xié) — flat shoes, flats, heelless shoes

Definition

noun
flat shoesflatsheelless shoes
Measure word · 双

Examples

  • 平底鞋。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì shuāng xīn de píng dǐ xié.
    I bought a new pair of flats.
  • 平底鞋。
    Chuān píng dǐ xié zǒu lù hěn shū fu.
    It's very comfortable to walk in flats.
  • 平底鞋。
    Zhè zhǒng píng dǐ xié shì hé shàng bān chuān.
    This kind of flat shoes is suitable for wearing to work.

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.

平底flat sole
平píngflat底dǐsole
偏正Modifier + head
鞋xiéshoe

平 “flat” describes 底 “sole”, and the flat sole shapes 鞋 “shoes”.

Characters in this word

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →

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
革革géleather
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī鞋
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

鞋 puts 革 (leather) beside 圭 to show leather shoes; 圭 gives the sound and originally drew a pair of ritual axes, not earth.

Open 鞋 →
Appears in
Footwear & Accessories

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