柏油路 (bǎi yóu lù) — asphalt road, tarred road | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

asphalt roadtarred road

Measure word · 条

Examples

柏油路，。
Zhè tiáo bǎi yóu lù fēi cháng píng tǎn, kāi chē hěn shū fu.
This asphalt road is very smooth, and it's comfortable to drive on.
柏油路，。
Chéng shì lǐ de bǎi yóu lù yuè lái yuè duō, jiāo tōng yě yuè lái yuè fāng biàn.
There are more and more asphalt roads in the city, making transportation more convenient.
柏油路，。
Zuó tiān gōng rén zhèng zài xiū bǎi yóu lù, suǒ yǐ wǒ men zhǐ néng rào lù.
Workers were repairing the asphalt road yesterday, so we had to take a detour.

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.

柏油asphalt

柏bǎicypress油yóuoil

偏正Modifier + head

柏油 names the tar-like oil, and 路 is the road paved with it.

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.

木白柏

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

白bái柏bǎi

Same sound today

柏 pairs 木, showing a tree, with 白, which gives the sound.

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

氵由油

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu油yóu

Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies the sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

各

各gè路lù

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

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

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