牛排馆 (niú pái guǎn) — steakhouse

Definition

noun
steakhouse
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 牛排馆。
    Wǒ men cháng qù nà jiā niú pái guǎn chī fàn.
    We often go to that steakhouse for dinner.
  • 牛排馆。
    Zhè jiā niú pái guǎn de niú pái fēi cháng xīn xiān.
    The steak at this steakhouse is very fresh.
  • 牛排馆？
    Nǐ zhī dào fù jìn yǒu hǎo de niú pái guǎn ma?
    Do you know a good steakhouse nearby?

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.

牛排steak
牛niúcow排páicutlet
偏正Modifier + head
馆guǎnrestaurant

牛 gives beef, 排 gives a cut, and 馆 names the place.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

牛 is drawn as a bull's head, with two horns and two ears.

Open 牛 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi排pái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

排 uses 扌 (hand) to show arranging something with the hand, and 非 for the sound; this gives the sense of placing things in a line.

Open 排 →

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 館; 馆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
飠Written in full as食shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
官
官guān館guǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 館 is made of 食, written as 飠 on the left, and 官 on the right; 官 provides the sound. The simplified 馆 is a later shorthand.

Open 馆 →

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