桥墩 (qiáo dūn) — bridge pier; pier (supporting a bridge)

Definition

noun

bridge pierpier (supporting a bridge)

Measure word · 个

桥墩。
Zhè zuò qiáo de qiáo dūn shì yòng gāng jīn hùn níng tǔ jiàn zào de.
This bridge's piers are built with reinforced concrete.
桥墩。
Hóng shuǐ bǎ qí zhōng yí gè qiáo dūn chōng huǐ le.
The flood destroyed one of the piers.
桥墩。
Shī gōng duì zhèng zài jiā gù suǒ yǒu de qiáo dūn.
The construction crew is reinforcing all the piers.

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.

桥 means bridge and 墩 means pier, giving a pier supporting a bridge.

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 橋; 桥 is its simplified writing.

木喬橋

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

喬

喬qiáo橋qiáo

Same sound today

The traditional form 橋 pairs 木 (wood) with 喬 (qiáo), which gave the character its sound; the simplified 桥 is a later abbreviation.

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

土敦墩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔsoil

Sound part声符shēngfú

敦

Same sound today

墩 pairs 土 (soil) with 敦, which gives the sound dūn.