平躺 (píng tǎng) — to lie flat on one's back | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

平躺 means to lie flat on one's back — the focus is the posture (flat, supine), not just lying down in general. Pairs with location phrases like 在床上 / 在地上.

verb

to lie flat on one's back

Examples

平躺。
Yī shēng ràng tā píng tǎng zài chuáng shàng xiū xi.
The doctor told him to lie flat on the bed and rest.
平躺。
Tā xǐ huan píng tǎng zài cǎo dì shàng kàn yún.
She likes to lie on her back on the grass and watch the clouds.
平躺，。
Nǐ zuì hǎo píng tǎng, bié luàn dòng.
You'd better lie flat and not move around.

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 names a flat position and 躺 names lying, together meaning to lie horizontally.

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.

身尚躺

Meaning part形符xíngfú

身身shēnbody

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

尚shàng躺tǎng

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

躺 pairs 身 (body) with 尚, which gives its sound.

Appears in

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