肚脐眼 (dù qí yǎn) — belly button (colloquial)

Definition

noun
belly button (colloquial)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 肚脐眼。
    Wǒ de dù qí yǎn yǒu diǎn téng.
    My belly button hurts a bit.
  • 肚脐眼。
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn lù chū dù qí yǎn de yī fu.
    He wore a shirt that showed his belly button.
  • 肚脐眼。
    Xiǎo yīng ér de dù qí yǎn yào zhù yì qīng jié.
    The baby's belly button needs attention to cleanliness.

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.

肚脐navel
肚dùbelly脐qínavel
偏正Modifier + head
眼yǎnhole

肚 means belly, 脐 means navel, and 眼 suggests an eye-like hole, naming the belly button.

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
土
土tǔ肚dù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side ⺼ is 肉 (flesh), marking body parts like belly; the right side 土 gives the pronunciation.

Open 肚 →

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 臍; 脐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat; flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí臍qí
Same sound today

The traditional form 臍 pairs 肉 (meat/flesh) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 脐 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脐 →

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn眼yǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

Open 眼 →

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