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烟枪 (yān qiāng) — opium pipe; chain smoker (slang)

Definition

Literally 'smoking gun,' 烟枪 has two senses: a historical opium pipe, and slang for a chain smoker. Always pejorative — describes someone who smokes heavily, not just occasionally.

noun
opium pipechain smoker (slang)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 烟枪。
    Tā zài bó wù guǎn kàn dào le yì zhī gǔ lǎo de yān qiāng.
    He saw an old opium pipe in the museum.
  • ，烟枪。
    Tā yì tiān chōu sān bāo yān, zhēn shì gè lǎo yān qiāng.
    He smokes three packs a day — he's a real chain smoker.
  • ，烟枪，。
    Bié kàn tā shòu, tā qí shí shì gè yān qiāng, yì wǎn shàng néng chōu yì hé.
    Don't be fooled by her size; she's actually a heavy smoker and can go through a pack in one night.

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.

烟yānopium
枪qiāngpipe

烟 (opium) and 枪 (pipe) form a pipe for smoking.

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 煙; 烟 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 烟 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (烟) it is 煙; in others it is 菸.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
垔
垔yīn煙yān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

This story is about the traditional form 煙, not the simplified 烟. It pairs 火, fire, with 垔, which gives the sound.

Open 烟 →

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 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng槍qiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Open 枪 →
Appears in
Alcohol & Tobacco

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