成堆 (chéng duī) — to pile up, to accumulate (literal or figurative)

Definition

Verb meaning 'to pile up / accumulate' — usually for many items of the same kind gathered together, literal or figurative (e.g. problems, trash). Often appears in 成了一堆 or 了 after the verb.

verb
to pile upto accumulate (literal or figurative)

Examples

  • 成堆，。
    Lā jī chéng duī, yào jí shí qīng lǐ.
    Trash piles up; it needs to be cleaned up in time.
  • 。
    Tā chéng le yí dà duī fèi zhǐ.
    He piled up a big heap of waste paper.
  • ，。
    Wèn tí chéng le duī, bì xū mǎ shàng jiě jué.
    Problems have piled up and must be solved immediately.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

成chéngbecome/form
堆duīpile

"成" means to become or form, and "堆" means a pile, so the word means to form piles.

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī堆duī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堆 is built from 土 (earth) and 隹, which supplies the sound.

Open 堆 →

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