弹簧床 (tán huáng chuáng) — spring bed

Definition

noun

spring bed

Measure word · 张

弹簧床。
Wǒ jiā de tán huáng chuáng hěn shū fu.
The spring bed at my place is very comfortable.
弹簧床。
Zhè ge shāng diàn mài gè zhǒng tán huáng chuáng.
This store sells all kinds of spring beds.
弹簧床？
Nǐ shuì guò tán huáng chuáng ma?
Have you ever slept on a spring bed?

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.

弹簧spring

偏正Modifier + head

弹簧床: 弹 (springy) and 簧 (spring) form 弹簧 (spring), giving 床 (bed) its springy support.

Characters in this word

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

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

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

广木床

The 床 shape combines 广, a house, and 木, tree, to show a wooden bed inside a house.