漫游费 (màn yóu fèi) — roaming fee (for mobile phones)

Definition

noun
roaming fee (for mobile phones)
Measure word · 笔

Examples

  • ，漫游费。
    Chū guó lǚ xíng shí, shǒu jī màn yóu fèi hěn gāo.
    When traveling abroad, mobile roaming fees are high.
  • 漫游费。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī qǔ xiāo le màn yóu fèi.
    This company canceled roaming fees.
  • 漫游费。
    Kāi tōng màn yóu fèi fú wù xū yào é wài fù fèi.
    Activating roaming service requires an extra fee.

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.

漫游roam
漫mànfree游yóutravel
偏正Modifier + head
费fèifee

漫 and 游 together give the sense of roaming, and 费 means a charge, giving a roaming fee.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn漫
Same sound today

漫 uses 氵 (water) and 曼 for the sound; 曼 also means “vast, extended,” showing water spread out or overflowing.

Open 漫 →

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
斿
斿yóu游yóu
Same sound today

游 combines 水 (water) with 斿, which gives the sound yóu and also relates to travelling.

Open 游 →

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 費; 费 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
弗
弗fú費fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 費 has 貝, a cowry shell, and 弗, which gives a sound; the simplified 费 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 费 →

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