苍蝇拍 (cāng yíng pāi) — flyswatter

Definition

noun
flyswatter
Measure word · 把

Examples

  • 苍蝇拍。
    Xià tiān jiā lǐ xū yào yì bǎ cāng yíng pāi.
    In summer, you need a flyswatter at home.
  • 苍蝇拍。
    Tā yòng cāng yíng pāi dǎ sǐ le liǎng zhī cāng ying.
    He killed two flies with the flyswatter.
  • 苍蝇拍。
    Zhè bǎ cāng yíng pāi fàng zài chú fáng de chōu ti lǐ.
    This flyswatter is kept in the kitchen drawer.

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.

苍蝇fly
苍cānggrey/green蝇yíngfly
偏正Modifier + head
拍pāiswatter

The 苍蝇 fly tells what the 拍 swatter is for.

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 蒼; 苍 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng蒼cāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 蒼 pairs 艸 (grass) with 倉 as a sound part. The simplified 苍 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 苍 →

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 蠅; 蝇 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
黽
黽mǐn蠅yíng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蝇 is the simplified form of 蠅, which pairs 虫 (insect) with 黽 as a sound part.

Open 蝇 →

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
白
白bái拍pāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拍 puts 手 (hand) beside 白, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 拍 →

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