苗圃 (miáo pǔ) — nursery (for growing plants); seedbed

Definition

noun

nursery (for growing plants)seedbed

Measure word · 个

苗圃。
Zhè jiā miáo pǔ zhuān mén péi yù guǒ shù miáo.
This nursery specializes in growing fruit tree saplings.
苗圃。
Chūn tiān shì miáo pǔ zuì máng lù de jì jié.
Spring is the busiest season for a nursery.
苗圃。
Tā cóng miáo pǔ mǎi le jǐ kē xiǎo shù miáo.
He bought a few small saplings from the nursery.

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.

圃pǔgarden

The sense of 苗 as young plants in a 圃 garden gives a nursery for raising seedlings.

Characters in this word

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

It is made from 艸 (grass) and 田 (field), showing plants in a field, which matches the meaning of a young plant or seedling.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

囗甫圃

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéi

Sound part声符shēngfú

甫

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

圃 pairs 囗, an enclosure, with 甫, which is used for its sound.