畔 (pàn) — (bound form) side, bank, edge of a river, lake, or field

Definition

Bound form meaning the side, bank, or edge of water or a field — always follows a noun (e.g. 河畔, 湖畔, 田畔), never used alone.

bound form
sidebankedge of a riverlakeor field

Examples

  • ,。
    Tā men zài hú pàn sàn bù, xīn shǎng měi lì de fēng jǐng.
    They strolled by the lakeside, enjoying the beautiful scenery.
  • ,。
    Zhè zuò bié shù wèi yú hé pàn, huán jìng fēi cháng ān jìng.
    This villa is located by the riverside, with a very quiet environment.
  • 畔。
    Tián pàn de xiǎo lù shang kāi mǎn le yě huā.
    The path along the field edge is full of wildflowers.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn畔pàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left 田 shows a field, and the right 半 gives the sound.

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