罩衫 (zhào shān) — overalls

Definition

noun
overalls
Measure word · 件

Examples

  • 罩衫。
    Zhè jiàn zhào shān shì lán sè de.
    This overall is blue.
  • 罩衫。
    Tā chuān zhuó zhào shān zài huā yuán lǐ gàn huó.
    He wears overalls while working in the garden.
  • 罩衫。
    Wǒ mǎi le yí jiàn xīn zhào shān qù shàng bān chuān.
    I bought a new overall to wear to work.

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.

罩zhàocover
衫shānshirt

罩 (cover) and 衫 (shirt) combine to mean a covering shirt or overalls.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
罒Written in full as网wǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
卓
卓zhuó罩zhào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

罩 combines 罒, a form of 网 “net”, with 卓, which gives the sound.

Open 罩 →

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
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
彡
彡shān衫shān
Same sound today

衫 uses 衣 to show it is a garment and 彡 to give the sound.

Open 衫 →

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