平板 (píng bǎn) — (adjective) flat, dull, stereotyped; (noun) tab… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

As an adjective, 平板 means flat and uninspired (designs, performances, writing) — lacking depth or originality. As a noun, it refers to a tablet computer or flat-panel display.

adjective

flatdullstereotyped

noun

tablet computerflat-panel display

Examples

平板。
Wǒ mǎi le yì tái xīn píng bǎn diàn nǎo.
I bought a new tablet computer.
平板。
Kè tīng lǐ yǒu yì tái píng bǎn diàn shì.
There is a flat-screen TV in the living room.
，。
Zhè ge shè jì tài píng bǎn le, méi yǒu chuàng yì.
This design is too flat and lacking creativity.

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 gives flat and 板 gives board, so the word names a flat panel or tablet.

Characters in this word

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

八八bādivision
亏亏kuīexhaled air

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

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

木反板

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

反

反fǎn板bǎn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

板 pairs 木 (tree) with 反 as a sound part.

Appears in

Technology & Engineering Size & Dimension

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