茅房 (máo fáng) — (noun) a primitive outdoor toilet, an outhouse (often made of thatch); (noun) a thatched hut or house

Definition

A colloquial, somewhat old-fashioned word for an outdoor toilet (outhouse) or a thatched hut. In modern usage it usually means 'latrine/outhouse,' especially a rustic or rural one.

noun
a primitive outdoor toiletan outhouse (often made of thatch)a thatched hut or house
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 茅房。
    Zhè ge cūn zi lǐ de máo fáng yǐ jīng méi yǒu rén zài yòng le.
    The outhouse in this village is no longer used.
  • 茅房。
    Yǐ qián rén men qù máo fáng dōu yào zì jǐ dài zhǐ.
    In the past, people had to bring their own paper when they went to the outhouse.
  • 茅房，。
    Nà zuò lǎo máo fáng shì yòng máo cǎo gài de, xiàn zài yǐ jīng dǎo tā le.
    That old thatched hut was built with thatch and has now collapsed.

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.

茅máothatch
房fánghouse

A thatched house, often a simple outdoor toilet.

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cǎoplant
Sound part声符shēngfú
矛
矛máo茅máo
Same sound today

茅 pairs 艹 (plant) with 矛 as a sound component; the plant part appears in full as 艸.

Open 茅 →

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
戶戶hùdoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng房fáng
Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Open 房 →

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