白鱼 (bái yú) — whitefish; topmouth culter (a freshwater fish); silverfish (an insect that eats paper and clothing)

Definition

白鱼 (báiyú) refers to two unrelated creatures: a freshwater fish (topmouth culter) and a silverfish insect that damages paper and cloth. The meaning is fixed by context.

noun
whitefishtopmouth culter (a freshwater fish)silverfish (an insect that eats paper and clothing)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 白鱼。
    Zhè dào qīng zhēng bái yú wèi dào fēi cháng xiān měi.
    This steamed whitefish dish tastes very delicious.
  • 白鱼。
    Lǎo shū lǐ cháng yǒu bái yú zhù shí de hén jì.
    Old books often have traces of silverfish damage.
  • 白鱼。
    Tā diào le yì tiáo liǎng jīn zhòng de bái yú.
    He caught a whitefish weighing two jin.

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
鱼yúfish

白 gives the white color and 鱼 names fish, together meaning a white fish.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 魚; 鱼 is its simplified writing.

For 鱼, the traditional form 魚 is a picture of a fish.

Open 鱼 →

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