腰围 (yāo wéi) — waist measurement; waist circumference

Definition

noun

waist measurementwaist circumference

腰围？
Nǐ de yāo wéi shì duō shǎo?
What is your waist measurement?
，腰围。
Tōng guò duàn liàn, tā de yāo wéi biàn xì le.
Through exercise, his waist became slimmer.
腰围。
Mǎi kù zi qián yào liáng hǎo yāo wéi.
Before buying pants, measure your waist well.

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.

围wéicircumference

腰 means waist; 围 gives the surrounding measurement, so the waist circumference.

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ròuflesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

要

Same sound today

The left part ⺼ is flesh; the right part 要 gives the sound.

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 圍; 围 is its simplified writing.

囗韋圍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéienclosure

Sound part声符shēngfú

韋

韋wéi圍wéi

Same sound today

The traditional form 圍 pairs 囗 (enclosure) with 韋, which gives the sound; 围 is the simplified form of 圍.

Appears in