抽水马桶 (chōu shuǐ mǎ tǒng) — flush toilet

Definition

A toilet with a built-in flush tank that washes waste away with water — literally 'pump-water horse-barrel'. The standard term for a modern flush toilet in everyday Chinese.

noun
flush toilet
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 抽水马桶。
    Zhè ge chōu shuǐ mǎ tǒng de chōng shuǐ shēng yīn hěn dà.
    The flushing sound of this toilet is very loud.
  • 抽水马桶。
    Xīn zhuāng xiū de wèi shēng jiān zhuāng le yí gè zhì néng chōu shuǐ mǎ tǒng.
    The newly renovated bathroom has a smart toilet installed.
  • 抽水马桶。
    Qǐng bǎo chí chōu shuǐ mǎ tǒng qīng jié.
    Please keep the toilet clean.

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.

抽水pump water
抽chōupump水shuǐwater
动宾Verb + object
马桶toilet
马mǎhorse桶tǒngbucket
偏正Modifier + head

抽水, pumping water, with 马桶, a toilet bucket, gives a flush toilet.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu抽chōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 is the hand form, written in full as 手, and the right part 由 provides the sound.

Open 抽 →

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

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
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng桶tǒng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 木 shows wood, and the right part 甬 gives the sound.

Open 桶 →

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