拨浪鼓 (bō làng gǔ) — rattle drum; pellet drum (a hand drum twirled to make attached beads strike the drum)

Definition

A traditional Chinese handheld toy: a small drum with beads on strings that rattle when you twirl the handle. Most often seen at temple fairs and used to entertain children.

noun
rattle drumpellet drum (a hand drum twirled to make attached beads strike the drum)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 拨浪鼓，。
    Xiǎo bǎo bao shǒu lǐ ná zhe yí gè bō làng gǔ, yì yáo jiù xiǎng.
    The baby holds a rattle drum in his hand; it makes a sound as soon as he shakes it.
  • 拨浪鼓。
    Miào huì shàng mài bō làng gǔ de tān zi qián wéi mǎn le hái zi.
    At the temple fair, the stall selling rattle drums was surrounded by children.
  • 拨浪鼓，。
    Tā qīng qīng zhuàn dòng bō làng gǔ, fā chū qīng cuì de dōng dōng shēng.
    He gently twisted the rattle drum, producing a crisp 'dong dong' sound.

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.

拨浪shake waves
拨bōshake浪làngwaves
动宾Verb + object
鼓gǔdrum

拨 and 浪 picture the shaking and swinging motion, and 鼓 is the drum.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 撥; 拨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā撥bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 撥 combines 手 (hand) with 發, which gives the sound; the simplified 拨 is a different form.

Open 拨 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

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

  • 壴壴zhùdrum
  • 支支zhīhand holding drumstick

鼓 combines 壴, a drum, with 支, a hand holding a drumstick, so the character pictures a drum being struck.

Open 鼓 →

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