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芭蕾舞 (bā lěi wǔ) — ballet

Definition

noun
ballet
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 芭蕾舞。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xué bā lěi wǔ.
    She has been learning ballet since childhood.
  • 芭蕾舞。
    Jīn wǎn yǒu yì chǎng jīng cǎi de bā lěi wǔ biǎo yǎn.
    There is a wonderful ballet performance tonight.
  • 芭蕾舞。
    bā lěi wǔ Yǎn yuán zài tái shàng tiào dé fēi cháng yōu měi.
    The ballet dancer danced very gracefully on stage.

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.

芭蕾ballet
芭bā蕾lěi
舞wǔdance

芭蕾 names the ballet form, and 舞 marks it as a dance.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
巴
巴bā芭
Same sound today

芭 pairs 艹, the grass top, with 巴 below to supply the sound.

Open 芭 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 蕾 →

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
舛舛chuǎnsteps, feet in convergent direction
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú舞wǔ
Same sound today

舞 combines 舛, showing feet in converging steps, with 無 above. 無 gave the sound and also preserved its older meaning of dancing, so the shape points to dancing.

Open 舞 →
Appears in
Dance & Performance

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