瓶盖 (píng gài) — bottle cap | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

瓶 (bottle) + 盖 (lid/cap); a 瓶盖 is specifically the small lid that screws or snaps onto a bottle, not a pot lid (锅盖) or jar lid.

noun

bottle cap

Measure word · 个

瓶盖。
Zhè ge píng gài hěn nán nǐng kāi.
This bottle cap is hard to unscrew.
瓶盖，。
Bǎ píng gài níng jǐn, bié ràng qì pǎo le.
Tighten the bottle cap so the fizz doesn't escape.
瓶盖，。
Yǐn liào de píng gài diào zài dì shàng, wǒ jiǎn le qǐ lái.
The drink's bottle cap fell on the ground, and I picked it up.

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.

'瓶' refers to a bottle and '盖' to a lid; together they name a bottle cap.

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.

并瓦瓶

Meaning part形符xíngfú

瓦瓦wǎearthenware

Sound part声符shēngfú

并

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

瓶 uses 瓦 to show an earthenware vessel and 并 for the sound. The original vessel had a long slender neck and narrow mouth.

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 蓋; 盖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

盍

盍hé蓋gài

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

The traditional form 蓋 pairs 艸, grass, with 盍 for sound. It was a thatch, and it took on cover meanings after 盍 was borrowed for “why not”.

Appears in