撒播 (sǎ bō) — to sow seeds by scattering; to broadcast (seeds)

Definition

撒播 (sǎbō) is a separable verb meaning 'to scatter / broadcast (seeds)' — concrete use is in farming, and figuratively it means spreading ideas, knowledge, or values widely.

verb
to sow seeds by scatteringto broadcast (seeds)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 撒播。
    Nóng mín zài tián lǐ sǎ bō zhǒng zi.
    The farmers are scattering seeds in the field.
  • 撒播。
    Zhè wèi lǎo shī tōng guò jiào xué sǎ bō zhī shi de zhǒng zi.
    This teacher sows the seeds of knowledge through teaching.
  • 撒播。
    Wǒ men yīng gāi sǎ bō shàn liáng hé ài xīn.
    We should spread kindness and love.

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.

撒sāscatter
播bōsow

撒 means scatter and 播 means sow, so together they describe sowing by scattering.

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

撒 combines 扌 (hand) with 散, which gives the sound; the hand part shows scattering with the hand.

Open 撒 →

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

播 is built from 扌, a hand radical, plus 番 as a sound part. The hand part marks it as something done by hand.

Open 播 →

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