牛棚 (niú péng) — cowshed, cattle shed; (historical) makeshift prison or detention camp for intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution

Definition

Literally 'cowshed' — a shelter for cattle. During the Cultural Revolution the term was used as a euphemism for makeshift camps where intellectuals were detained and persecuted.

noun
cowshedcattle shed(historical) makeshift prison or detention camp for intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 牛棚。
    Nóng chǎng lǐ yǒu yí gè hěn dà de niú péng.
    There is a very large cowshed on the farm.
  • ，牛棚。
    Wén gé qī jiān, hěn duō zhī shi fèn zǐ bèi guān jìn le niú péng.
    During the Cultural Revolution, many intellectuals were locked up in 'ox sheds'.
  • 牛棚。
    Zhè ge cūn zi lǐ de niú péng yǐ jīng fèi qì le.
    The cattle shed in this village has already been abandoned.

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niúcow
棚péngshed

牛 as cow and 棚 as shed give a shelter for cattle.

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
朋
朋péng棚péng
Same sound today

棚 pairs 木 (tree) with 朋, and 朋 gives the sound.

Open 棚 →

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