简朴 (jiǎn pǔ) — simple, plain, unadorned

Definition

adjective
simpleplainunadorned

Examples

  • 简朴。
    Tā de shēng huó hěn jiǎn pǔ.
    His life is very simple.
  • 简朴。
    Tā chuān zhuó yí jiàn jiǎn pǔ de yī fu.
    She is wearing a simple dress.
  • 简朴。
    Zhè ge fáng jiān de zhuāng shì hěn jiǎn pǔ.
    The decoration of this room is very plain.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

简jiǎnsimple
朴pǔplain

'简' (simple) and '朴' (plain) together mean simple and unadorned.

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 簡; 简 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
間
閒xián簡jiǎn
Same sound today

In the traditional form 簡, 竹 (bamboo) is paired with 間 (also written 閒) as a sound part; the simplified 简 is a later shorthand.

Open 简 →

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
卜
卜bǔ朴Piáo
Same sound today

朴 pairs 木, a tree or wood, with 卜, which gives the sound.

Open 朴 →
Appears in

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