落地窗 (luò dì chuāng) — French window; floor-to-ceiling window

Definition

A floor-to-ceiling window — 落地 literally means "falls to the ground," describing a large window that runs from floor to ceiling to maximize light and views.

noun
French windowfloor-to-ceiling window
Measure word · 扇

Examples

  • 落地窗，。
    Kè tīng zhuāng le yí shàn luò dì chuāng, cǎi guāng tè bié hǎo.
    The living room has a floor-to-ceiling window, and the lighting is especially good.
  • 落地窗。
    luò dì chuāng Ràng fáng jiān kàn qǐ lái gèng kuān chang.
    Floor-to-ceiling windows make the room look more spacious.
  • 落地窗，。
    Cóng luò dì chuāng wàng chū qù, néng kàn dào zhěng gè huā yuán.
    Looking out from the French window, you can see the whole garden.

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.

落地touch the ground
落luòfall地dìground
动宾Verb + object
窗chuāngwindow

落地 means reaching the floor and 窗 is a window, so it is a floor-to-ceiling window.

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cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
洛
洛luò落luò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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

窗 combines 穴 (hole) with 囱 (window), giving the sense of an opening used as a window.

Open 窗 →

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