泡沫 (pào mò) — foam; (soap) bubble; (economic) bubble | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

泡沫 is foam or a cluster of bubbles (soap, beer, etc.) and also the term for an economic bubble. Unlike 气泡 (a single gas bubble inside liquid or material), 泡沫 usually means a mass on the surface or the financial sense.

noun

foam(soap) bubble(economic) bubble

Measure word · 个

Examples

泡沫。
Zhè bēi pí jiǔ de pào mò hěn duō.
This glass of beer has a lot of foam.
泡沫。
Féi zào shuǐ qǐ le hěn duō pào mò.
The soapy water produced a lot of bubbles.
泡沫，。
Jīng jì pào mò pò liè hòu, hěn duō rén shī yè le.
After the economic bubble burst, many people lost their jobs.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

泡 and 沫 both refer to bubbles/foam, together denoting froth or a bubble.

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.

氵包泡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

包bāo泡pào

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

泡 combines 氵 (water) and 包, which supplies the sound. It conveys foam.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

末

末mò沫mò

Same sound today

沫 pairs 水 (water) with 末 (mò), where 水 marks the watery sense and 末 gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Materials & Substances

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