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烧夷弹 (shāo yí dàn) — incendiary bomb

Definition

noun
incendiary bomb
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 烧夷弹。
    Dí rén tóu xià le yì méi shāo yí dàn.
    The enemy dropped an incendiary bomb.
  • ，烧夷弹。
    Èr zhàn qī jiān, shāo yí dàn bèi guǎng fàn shǐ yòng.
    During World War II, incendiary bombs were widely used.
  • 烧夷弹。
    Bó wù guǎn lǐ zhǎn shì le yì méi jiù shāo yí dàn.
    The museum displays an old incendiary bomb.

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.

烧夷burn and destroy
烧shāoburn夷yílevel or destroy
联合Coordinate
弹tánbomb

烧 means burn, 夷 means level or destroy, and 弹 means bomb, together naming a bomb that burns and destroys.

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 燒; 烧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
堯
堯yáo燒shāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 燒 pairs 火 (fire) with 堯, which supplies the sound; the simplified 烧 is a shorthand.

Open 烧 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The original form showed 矢 (arrow) with 弓 (rope), and meant shooting arrows. Later forms showed 大 (person) with 弓 (bow).

Open 夷 →

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
單
單dān彈tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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