泡菜 (pào cài) — pickled vegetables; kimchi | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

pickled vegetableskimchi

Measure word · 个

Examples

泡菜。
Zhè jiā cān tīng de pào cài hěn hǎo chī.
The kimchi at this restaurant is delicious.
泡菜，。
Mā ma zì jǐ zuò pào cài, yòu suān yòu là.
Mom makes her own pickled vegetables, both sour and spicy.
泡菜。
Hán guó rén měi dùn fàn dōu lí bù kāi pào cài.
Koreans can't do without kimchi at every meal.

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.

泡pàopickled

菜càivegetables

泡 gives the idea of soaking or pickling, and 菜 gives vegetables, so 泡菜 refers to pickled vegetables.

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.

艹采菜

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

采

采cǎi菜cài

Same sound today

菜 has 艹 (grass/plants) on top and 采 below; the top part shows it is a plant, while 采 gives the sound.

Appears in

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