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篮下 (lán xià) — under the basket (basketball term for the area near the hoop)

Definition

Basketball term for the area directly under the hoop, where rebounds and close-range shots happen. Functions as a location noun, often paired with verbs like 抢 (rebound), 得分, or 防守.

noun
under the basket (basketball term for the area near the hoop)

Examples

  • 篮下。
    Tā zài lán xià qiǎng dào le lán bǎn qiú.
    He grabbed a rebound under the basket.
  • 篮下。
    Zhè ge qiú yuán hěn shàn cháng zài lán xià dé fēn.
    This player is very good at scoring under the basket.
  • 篮下，。
    Fáng shǒu shí yào shǒu zhù lán xià, bú ràng duì fāng qīng sōng tóu lán.
    On defense, you must guard under the basket to prevent easy shots.

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.

篮lánbasket
下xiàbelow

篮 names the basket and 下 points to the area below it, giving the basketball zone.

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 籃; 篮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān籃lán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 籃 puts 竹 (bamboo) over 監, which gives the sound; the simplified 篮 is a later shorthand.

Open 篮 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →
Appears in
Ball Games

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