笔帽 (bǐ mào) — cap (of a pen or pencil)

Definition

noun
cap (of a pen or pencil)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 笔帽，。
    Wǒ de bǐ diū le bǐ mào, bù néng yòng le.
    I lost the cap of my pen, so it can't be used.
  • 笔帽。
    Zhè zhī bǐ de bǐ mào shì lán sè de.
    The cap of this pen is blue.
  • 笔帽，。
    Qǐng bǎ bǐ mào gài shàng, bié ràng bǐ jiān gān le.
    Please put the cap back on so the nib doesn't dry out.

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.

笔bǐpen
帽màocap

“笔” means pen and “帽” means cap, so it denotes a pen cap.

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.

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 →

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
冒
冒mào帽mào
Same sound today

帽 uses 巾 (cloth) for the meaning and 冒 for the sound. The earlier form 冃 was later written with 目 and 巾 added.

Open 帽 →

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