桥头 (qiáo tóu) — end of a bridge, bridge approach | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

end of a bridgebridge approach

Measure word · 个

Examples

桥头。
Tā zài qiáo tóu děng zhe wǒ.
He is waiting for me at the bridge end.
桥头。
qiáo tóu Yǒu hěn duō rén zài diào yú.
Many people are fishing at the bridge end.
桥头。
Zhè zuò qiáo tóu yǒu yí zuò shí bēi.
This bridge end has a stone stele.

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.

桥 means bridge and 头 means end, naming the end of 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

豆頁頭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

豆dòu頭tóu

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Buildings & Structures

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