篮板 (lán bǎn) — backboard (in basketball)

Definition

noun

backboard (in basketball)

Measure word · 块

篮板。
Tā tiào qǐ lái zhuā zhù le lán bǎn.
He jumped up and grabbed the backboard.
篮板。
Lán qiú dǎ zài lán bǎn shàng dàn le chū lái.
The basketball hit the backboard and bounced out.
篮板。
Zhè ge lán bǎn shì gāng huà bō li zuò de.
This backboard is made of tempered glass.

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lánbasketball

篮 points to basketball and 板 is a board, so the word means the basketball backboard.

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.

竹監籃

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.

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

木反板

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

反

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

板 pairs 木 (tree) with 反 as a sound part.

Appears in