白沙 (bái shā) — Baisha (common place name, e.g., Baisha Lizu Autonomous County in Hainan or Baisha Township in Penghu, Taiwan)

Definition

A common Chinese place name (literally 'white sand') used for several locations, most famously Baisha Li Autonomous County in Hainan. Treat it as a proper noun — a specific place, not the literal materials.

noun
Baisha (common place name, e.g., Baisha Lizu Autonomous County in Hainan or Baisha Township in Penghu, Taiwan)

Examples

  • 白沙。
    Wǒ míng nián xiǎng qù bái shā lǚ yóu.
    I want to travel to Baisha next year.
  • 白沙，。
    bái shā Zài hǎi nán, shì yí gè piào liang de dì fāng.
    Baisha is in Hainan, a beautiful place.
  • 白沙。
    bái shā Lí tái wān běn dǎo hěn jìn.
    Baisha is very close to the main island of Taiwan.

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.

白báiwhite
沙shāsand

白 gives white and 沙 gives sand, so the name means white sand.

Characters in this word

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

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

沙 puts 少 (dots) beside 水 (water), showing sand on a shoreline.

Open 沙 →

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