百褶裙 (bái zhě qún) — pleated skirt (with many accordion-like folds)

Definition

noun
pleated skirt (with many accordion-like folds)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 百褶裙，。
    Tā chuān le yì tiáo bái zhě qún, kàn qǐ lái hěn piào liang.
    She wore a pleated skirt and looked very pretty.
  • 百褶裙，。
    Wǒ zài shāng diàn kàn dào yì tiáo bái zhě qún, dàn shì tài guì le.
    I saw a pleated skirt in the store, but it was too expensive.
  • 百褶裙，。
    Zhè tiáo bái zhě qún de zhě zi tài duō, bú tài hǎo xǐ.
    This pleated skirt has too many pleats and is not easy to wash.

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.

百褶many pleats
百bǎihundred/many褶zhěpleats
偏正Modifier + head
裙qúnskirt

百 indicates many 褶 folds, and 裙 is the skirt.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
一一yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái百bǎi
Same sound today

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

Open 百 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 褶 →

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
衤Written in full as衣yīclothing
Sound part声符shēngfú
君
君jūn裙qún
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

裙 pairs 衤, a narrow form of 衣 meaning clothing, with 君, which gives the sound.

Open 裙 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.