法兰绒 (fǎ lán róng) — flannel (fabric)

Definition

noun
flannel (fabric)
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 法兰绒
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn fǎ lán róng chèn shān.
    He wore a flannel shirt.
  • 法兰绒
    Zhè zhǒng fǎ lán róng mō qǐ lái hěn ruǎn.
    This kind of flannel feels very soft.
  • 法兰绒
    Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì tiáo fǎ lán róng wéi jīn.
    I want to buy a flannel scarf.

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.

法兰flannel
音译Transliteration
róngfabric

法兰 spells the loan name, and 绒 shows it is a soft fabric.

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
Written in full asshuǐwater
zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

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 蘭; 兰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full ascǎoplant
Sound part声符shēngfú
lánlán
Same sound today

In the traditional form 蘭, 艹 marks it as a plant and 闌 stands for the sound; the simplified 兰 is a later shorthand, not the original parts.

Open 兰 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 绒 →

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