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爆满 (bào mǎn) — filled to capacity (of a venue, event, etc.)

Definition

爆满 means a venue is 'packed' — every seat taken. Pairs with the type of place (音乐厅, 餐厅), not with people. 饱和 is broader and abstract (markets, systems), while 爆满 is concrete and always about a venue.

verb
filled to capacity (of a venue, event, etc.)

Examples

  • 爆满。
    Zuó wǎn de yīn yuè tīng bào mǎn le.
    The concert hall was filled to capacity last night.
  • 爆满。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng zhōu mò jīng cháng bào mǎn.
    This restaurant is often packed on weekends.
  • 爆满，。
    Bó wù guǎn yǐ jīng bào mǎn le, wǒ men míng tiān zài qù ba.
    The museum is already full; let's go tomorrow instead.

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.

爆bàobursting
满mǎnfull

The first element means bursting and the second means full, together describing a venue packed to capacity.

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huǒ
Sound part声符shēngfú
暴
暴bào爆bào
Same sound today

爆 combines 火 (fire) with 暴, which supplies the sound and also originally meant violence.

Open 爆 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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