煤球 (méi qiú) — coal briquette (ball-shaped, used for household fuel)

Definition

A ball-shaped coal briquette used for household stoves, especially common in older northern Chinese homes for winter heating. Today largely replaced by central heating and natural gas.

noun
coal briquette (ball-shaped, used for household fuel)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 煤球。
    Yǐ qián dōng tiān jiā jiā hù hù dōu shāo méi qiú qǔ nuǎn.
    In the past, every household burned coal briquettes for warmth in winter.
  • 煤球。
    Tā yòng qián zi jiā qǐ yí gè méi qiú fàng jìn lú zi lǐ.
    He picked up a coal briquette with tongs and put it into the stove.
  • 煤球。
    Xiàn zài chéng lǐ yǐ jīng hěn nán mǎi dào méi qiú le.
    Nowadays it's hard to buy coal briquettes in the city.

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.

煤méicoal
球qiúball

煤 as coal and 球 as ball describe a ball-shaped piece of coal.

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
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
某
某mǒu煤méi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

煤 puts 火 (fire) on the left and 某 on the right; the fire part relates to coal, and 某 gives the sound.

Open 煤 →

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
求
求qiú球qiú
Same sound today

球 is built from 玉, meaning jade, and 求, which gives the sound.

Open 球 →

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