裤带 (kù dài) — belt (for trousers) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

belt (for trousers)

Measure word · 根

裤带，。
Wǒ de kù dài tài jǐn le, xū yào sōng yì diǎn.
My belt is too tight, I need to loosen it a bit.
裤带。
Tā mǎi le yì tiáo xīn de pí kù dài.
He bought a new leather belt.
裤带。
Nǐ chū mén de shí hou bié wàng le xì kù dài.
Don't forget to fasten your belt when you go out.

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.

裤kùtrousers

裤 'trousers' and 带 'belt' combine to mean a belt worn with trousers.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 褲; 裤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

衣衣yīclothing

Sound part声符shēngfú

庫

庫kù褲

Same sound today

The traditional form 褲 pairs 衣 (clothing) with 庫 for its sound. The simplified 裤 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 帶; 带 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 帶 was drawn as a woven belt; the simplified 带 is a later shorthand.