节目表 (jié mù biǎo) — program schedule; TV guide; playbill

Definition

noun
program scheduleTV guideplaybill
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 节目表。
    Měi wǎn bā diǎn wǒ dōu yào kàn jié mù biǎo ān pái míng tiān de jié mù.
    Every night at 8 I check the program schedule to arrange tomorrow's shows.
  • ，节目表。
    Yǎn chū kāi shǐ qián, guān zhòng kě yǐ miǎn fèi ná yí fèn jié mù biǎo.
    Before the performance starts, the audience can pick up a free playbill.
  • 节目表。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè zhāng jié mù biǎo tiē zài mén kǒu.
    Please post this program list by the door.

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.

节目program
节jiésegment目mùitem
联合Side by side
表biǎolist

节目 refers to segments or items of a performance, and 表 is a list, yielding a schedule of programs.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →

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

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Open 目 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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