满城 (Mǎn chéng) — the whole city; (place name) Mancheng District, Baoding, Hebei

Definition

Literally 'whole city,' 满城 is used as an adverbial phrase meaning 'all over the city' — note the existing translation 'the whole city' is a literal gloss, not the idiomatic use. Often appears in the set phrase 满城风雨 ('uproar all over town').

noun
the whole city(place name) Mancheng DistrictBaodingHebei

Examples

  • ，。
    Zhè jiàn shì nào dé Mǎn chéng fēng yǔ, rén rén dōu zài yì lùn.
    This incident caused a huge uproar throughout the city; everyone is talking about it.
  • ，满城。
    Chūn tiān dào le, Mǎn chéng de yīng huā dōu kāi le.
    Spring has arrived, and the cherry blossoms are blooming all over the city.
  • 满城，。
    Tā shì Mǎn chéng rén, duì zhè lǐ de yì jiē yí xiàng dōu hěn shú xi.
    He is a native of the whole city (or: from Mancheng), familiar with every street and alley here.

Origin

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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

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
土土tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
成
成chéng城chéng
Same sound today

城 pairs 土 (soil) with 成 as a sound part, because city walls were originally made of stamped earth.

Open 城 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.