扇贝 (shàn bèi) — scallop | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

scallop

Measure word · 个

扇贝。
Wǒ zài chāo shì mǎi le xīn xiān de shàn bèi.
I bought fresh scallops at the supermarket.
扇贝，。
Zhè dào cài yòng shàn bèi hé suàn róng zuò de, wèi dào hěn xiān.
This dish is made with scallops and minced garlic; it tastes very fresh.
扇贝。
Zuó tiān zài hǎi xiān cān tīng diǎn le yí fèn suàn róng zhēng shàn bèi.
Yesterday I ordered a steamed scallop with garlic at a seafood restaurant.

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.

扇 means 'fan' and 贝 means 'shell', so the name pictures a shell shaped like a fan.

Characters in this word

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

扇 puts 戶 (door) over 羽 (feather).

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貝; 贝 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 貝, not the simplified 贝, shows a cowrie shell used as money in ancient China.

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