(péng) — (surname) Péng; (in compounds) fluffy, disheveled; (in compounds) vigorous, flourishing

Definition

A bound morph (bound form) that almost never stands alone. Used in compounds like 蓬松 (fluffy) and 蓬勃 (vigorous, flourishing), and as the surname 蓬.

bound form
(surname) Péng(in compounds) fluffydisheveled(in compounds) vigorousflourishing

Examples

  • Wǒ xìng péng, jiào péng wèi guó.
    My surname is Peng, and my full name is Peng Weiguo.
  • Tā de tóu fa hěn péng sōng, kàn qǐ lái hěn róu ruǎn.
    Her hair is very fluffy and looks soft.
  • Gōng sī fā zhǎn dé hěn péng bó.
    The company is developing vigorously.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

蓬 pairs 艸 (vegetation) with 逢, which gives the sound.

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