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肘部 (zhǒu bù) — elbow (body part)

Definition

noun
elbow (body part)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 肘部。
    Tā dǎ qiú shí shāng le zhǒu bù.
    He injured his elbow while playing ball.
  • 肘部。
    Qǐng bǎ zhǒu bù fàng zài zhuō zi shàng.
    Please put your elbow on the table.
  • 肘部。
    Tā de zhǒu bù shàng yǒu yí gè xiǎo bā.
    There is a small scar on her elbow.

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.

肘zhǒuelbow
部bùpart

肘 (elbow) combines with 部 (part) to name the elbow area.

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
寸
寸cùn肘zhǒu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form of 肘 drew a hand with a line marking the elbow. Because it looked like 寸, 肉 was added to tell the two shapes apart.

Open 肘 →

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
邑邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu部bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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