慢车 (màn chē) — slow or local train/bus (stopping at many stations or serving many stops)

Definition

noun
slow or local train/bus (stopping at many stations or serving many stops)
Measure word · 趟

Examples

  • 慢车，。
    Wǒ zuó tiān zuò le màn chē, huā le sì gè xiǎo shí cái dào.
    Yesterday I took the slow train, and it took four hours to get there.
  • 慢车，。
    màn chē Suī rán màn, dàn piào jià pián yi hěn duō.
    Although the slow train/bus is slow, the ticket price is much cheaper.
  • ，慢车。
    Cóng běi jīng dào shàng hǎi, màn chē yào kāi shí jǐ gè xiǎo shí.
    From Beijing to Shanghai, the slow train takes over ten hours.

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.

慢mànslow
车chēvehicle

慢 expresses slow and 车 expresses vehicle, together meaning a slow local train or bus.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn慢màn
Same sound today

慢 pairs 忄 (heart) with 曼 (màn). The heart part points to a manner or sluggish behavior, while 曼’s meaning “long, extended” adds the sense of taking a long time.

Open 慢 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 車; 车 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 車 was drawn as a carriage seen from above, with wheels on both sides and a shaft at the front; the simplified 车 is a later shorthand.

Open 车 →

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