眉笔 (méi bǐ) — eyebrow pencil

Definition

noun
eyebrow pencil
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 眉笔。
    Wǒ xū yào yì zhī xīn de méi bǐ.
    I need a new eyebrow pencil.
  • 眉笔。
    Tā měi tiān yòng méi bǐ huà méi mao.
    She uses an eyebrow pencil to draw her eyebrows every day.
  • 眉笔。
    Zhè kuǎn méi bǐ fáng shuǐ xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
    This eyebrow pencil has good waterproof effect.

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.

眉méieyebrow
笔bǐpencil

眉 (eyebrow) + 笔 (pencil): a pencil used for eyebrows.

Characters in this word

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

眉 originally showed 𠃜, hair, above 目, an eye.

Open 眉 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 筆; 笔 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù筆bǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The simplified 笔 is based on the traditional form 筆, which puts 竹 (bamboo) beside 聿 (writing brush). 聿 already meant the brush and supplied the sound; 竹 was added later to show it was made of bamboo.

Open 笔 →

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