自由体操 (zì yóu tǐ cāo) — floor exercise (in gymnastics)

Definition

noun
floor exercise (in gymnastics)
Measure word · 套

Examples

  • 自由体操。
    Tā zài zì yóu tǐ cāo bǐ sài zhōng huò dé le yì méi jīn pái.
    She won a gold medal in the floor exercise competition.
  • 自由体操、。
    zì yóu tǐ cāo Yāo qiú yùn dòng yuán zhǎn shì lì liàng, róu rèn hé měi gǎn.
    Floor exercise requires athletes to demonstrate strength, flexibility, and aesthetics.
  • 自由体操。
    Jiào liàn zhèng zài zhǐ dǎo duì yuán liàn xí zì yóu tǐ cāo de chéng tào dòng zuò.
    The coach is guiding the team members in practicing the floor exercise routine.

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.

自由free
自zìself由yóufollow
联合Side by side
体操gymnastics
体tǐbody操cāoexercise
偏正Modifier + head

自由 (free) and 体操 (body exercise) combine to name floor exercise.

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

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

It began as a drawing of new shoots or leaves growing upward from a plant-like base.

Open 由 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
喿
喿zào操cāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 手 shows a hand, indicating an action done by hand. The right part 喿 gives the sound.

Open 操 →

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