蒲团 (pú tuán) — cattail hassock; rush cushion for sitting or kn…

Definition

noun

cattail hassockrush cushion for sitting or kneeling

Measure word · 个

蒲团。
Tā měi tiān zuò zài zhè zhāng pú tuán shàng dǎ zuò míng xiǎng.
He sits on this cattail cushion every day to meditate.
蒲团。
Sì miào lǐ měi gè pú tuán dōu zhěng zhěng qí qí dì bǎi fàng zài dì shàng.
In the temple, each cattail cushion is neatly arranged on the floor.
蒲团。
Wǒ zài wǎng shàng mǎi le yí gè shǒu gōng biān zhī de pú tuán.
I bought a hand-woven cattail cushion online.

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.

蒲púrush/cattail

团tuánround object

蒲 names the rush material, and 团 suggests a rounded object; together they denote a round sitting cushion.

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.

艹浦蒲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎovegetation

Sound part声符shēngfú

浦

Same sound today

蒲 has 艹 (vegetation) on top to show it is a plant, and 浦 to give its sound.

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 團; 团 is its simplified writing.

囗專團

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéi

Sound part声符shēngfú

專

專zhuān團tuán

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

The form 團 combines 囗 as a meaning part with 專 as a sound part; the story is about 團, not about 团.

Appears in