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波 (bō) — (bound form) wave (in water, sound, light, etc.); (bound form) unexpected turn of events; disturbance

Definition

波 (bō) is a bound morpheme meaning 'wave' (water, sound, light). It only appears as part of compounds like 波浪, 风波, 波动 — never alone. The second sense ('unexpected turn / disturbance') is metaphorical, as in 风波.

bound form
wave (in water, sound, light, etc.)unexpected turn of eventsdisturbance

Examples

  • ，。
    Hǎi shàng yǒu hěn dà de bō làng, chuán bù néng chū hǎi.
    There are big waves at sea; the boats can't go out.
  • 。
    Zhè chǎng fēng bō yǐng xiǎng le gōng sī de zhèng cháng yùn yíng.
    This disturbance affected the normal operations of the company.
  • ，。
    Shēng yīn shì yì zhǒng bō dòng, kě yǐ zài kōng qì zhōng chuán bō.
    Sound is a kind of wave motion; it can travel through air.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí波bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 皮 gives the sound.

Appears in
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