抛物线 (pāo wù xiàn) — parabola | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

parabola

Measure word · 条

Examples

抛物线。
Zhè tiáo qū xiàn shì yì tiáo pāo wù xiàn.
This curve is a parabola.
抛物线。
Lǎo shī zài hēi bǎn shàng huà le yí gè pāo wù xiàn.
The teacher drew a parabola on the blackboard.
抛物线。
Wǒ zài shù xué kè shàng xué le pāo wù xiàn de xìng zhì.
I learned the properties of the parabola in math class.

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.

抛物throw object

抛pāothrow物wùobject

动宾Verb + object

The idea of 抛物, throwing an object, with 线, line, gives the curve traced by a thrown object.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 拋; 抛 is its simplified writing.

手手shǒuhand
尤尤yóu
力力lìpower

The traditional form 拋, not 抛, shows 手 (hand), 尤, and 力 (power).

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

糹泉線

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

泉

泉quán線xiàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

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