扁豆 (biǎn dòu) — hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)

Definition

A climbing bean plant whose pods and seeds are used as a vegetable in Chinese cooking, especially stir-fried with meat. The name 扁 refers to the flat shape of the pods.

noun
hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 扁豆。
    Zhè dào cài shì yòng biǎn dòu hé ròu yì qǐ chǎo de.
    This dish is stir-fried with hyacinth beans and meat.
  • 扁豆，。
    biǎn dòu Zài xià tiān cháng dé hěn kuài, xū yào jīng cháng jiāo shuǐ.
    Hyacinth beans grow very quickly in summer and need frequent watering.
  • 扁豆。
    Xīn xiān de biǎn dòu zhǔ shú hòu kǒu gǎn hěn hǎo.
    Fresh hyacinth beans have a great texture after being cooked through.

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.

扁biǎnflat
豆dòubean

扁 describes a flat shape and 豆 a bean, giving a flat bean.

Characters in this word

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

  • 戶戶hùdoor
  • 冊冊cèbamboo tablets

扁 is made from 戶 (door) and 冊 (bamboo tablets), giving the idea of inscribing on a door or of two flat, thin things.

Open 扁 →

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

豆 originally drew some kind of container. It was borrowed for its sound to write the plant name, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 豆 →

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