版画 (bǎn huà) — print (artwork made by etching, engraving, or b…

Definition

noun

print (artwork made by etching, engraving, or block printing)printmaking

Measure word · 幅

版画。
Tā shōu cáng le hěn duō míng dài bǎn huà.
He collected many Ming dynasty prints.
版画。
Zhè wèi yì shù jiā de bǎn huà zài guó jì shàng hěn yǒu míng.
This artist's prints are very famous internationally.
版画。
Wǒ men yòng bǎn huà de xíng shì lái zhì zuò hè kǎ.
We use printmaking to make greeting cards.

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.

版bǎnprinting block

A 画 produced from a 版, giving the sense of a print or block picture.

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.

片反版

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

反

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

版 is formed by 片 and 反, with 片 contributing the sense and 反 the sound.

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 畫; 画 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

聿聿yùbrush

Sound part声符shēngfú

規

規guī畫huà

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 畫 pairs 聿, a brush, with 規 for its sound. The simplified 画 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the old parts.