背心 (bèi xīn) — sleeveless garment (vest, singlet, tank top) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

sleeveless garment (vest, singlet, tank top)

Measure word · 件

Examples

背心，。
Zhè jiàn bèi xīn shì chún mián de, chuān zhuó hěn shū fu.
This vest is pure cotton and feels very comfortable.
背心。
Xià tiān chū mén chuān yí jiàn bèi xīn jiù gòu le.
In summer, wearing a tank top is enough for going out.
背心。
Tā xǐ huan zài yùn dòng shí chuān bèi xīn.
He likes to wear a singlet when exercising.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

背 and 心 refer to back and chest; together they name a sleeveless garment covering them.

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.

北月背

Meaning part形符xíngfú

月Written in full as肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

北

北běi背bèi

Same sound today

背 was first written as 北; 北 gives the sound, and 肉 (meat, written as 月 here) was added to separate it from 北’s north meaning.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Clothing

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