薄冰 (báo bīng) — thin ice | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

thin ice

Measure word · 层

Examples

，薄冰。
Dōng tiān dào le, hé miàn shàng jié le báo bīng.
Winter has arrived, and thin ice has formed on the river.
，薄冰，。
Xiǎo xīn, lù shang yǒu báo bīng, zǒu lù yào màn yì xiē.
Be careful, there is thin ice on the road, so walk slower.
薄冰，。
Tā zhàn zài báo bīng shàng, bù gǎn dòng.
He stood on the thin ice and dared not move.

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.

The quality 薄 means thin, and 冰 means ice, so the word denotes thin ice.

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.

艹溥薄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎo

Sound part声符shēngfú

溥

溥pǔ薄báo

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

薄 combines 艹, a grass part, with 溥 as the sound part.

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

冫水冰

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

冫

仌bīng冰bīng

Same sound today

冰 adds 水 (water) to 冫, the short form of 仌; 冫 gives the sound, and 水 shows the meaning.

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