百事可乐 (Bǎi shì kě lè) — Pepsi (brand of cola)

Definition

noun

Pepsi (brand of cola)

百事可乐。
Wǒ zuó tiān mǎi le yì píng Bǎi shì kě lè.
I bought a bottle of Pepsi yesterday.
百事可乐？
Nǐ xǐ huan hē Bǎi shì kě lè hái shì kě kǒu kě lè?
Do you prefer Pepsi or Coca-Cola?
百事可乐。
Bǎi shì kě lè Shì shì jiè shàng zhù míng de yǐn liào pǐn pái zhī yī.
Pepsi is one of the world's famous beverage brands.

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.

一白百

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丂

丂kǎo可kě

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

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樂; 乐 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 樂, 絲 (string) with 木 (wood) shows strings on a piece of wood, a musical instrument; the simplified 乐 is a later shorthand.

Appears in