裁缝店 (cái féng diàn) — tailor shop

Definition

noun
tailor shop
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 裁缝店。
    Wǒ qù cái féng diàn qǔ xīn zuò de xī zhuāng.
    I went to the tailor shop to pick up my newly made suit.
  • 裁缝店。
    Zhè jiā cái féng diàn de shī fu shǒu yì hěn hǎo.
    The master tailor at this shop is very skilled.
  • 裁缝店。
    Tā zài cái féng diàn dìng zuò le yì tiáo qún zi.
    She ordered a dress at the tailor shop.

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.

裁缝tailor
裁cáicut缝fèngsew
联合Side by side
店diànshop

裁 means cut and 缝 means sew; 裁缝 is a tailor, and 店 is a shop.

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
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏裁cái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

裁 combines 衣 (clothing) with 𢦏, whose form is tied to a blade and an arrow, to show cutting fabric.

Open 裁 →

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 縫; 缝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
逢
逢féng縫fèng(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 縫 pairs 糸 with 逢; 逢 gives the sound, and 糸 fits the sense. The simplified 缝 is a shorthand.

Open 缝 →

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
广广guǎnghouse built to depend on a cliff
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn店diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

店 shows 广, a house built to depend on a cliff, and 占, which gives the sound.

Open 店 →

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