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裤衩 (kù chǎ) — underpants

Definition

Colloquial word for underpants (especially men's briefs), more casual and everyday than the standard term 内裤. Used in spoken Chinese rather than formal writing.

noun
underpants
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 裤衩，。
    Zhè tiáo kù chǎ shì chún mián de, chuān zhuó hěn shū fu.
    This pair of underpants is pure cotton and very comfortable to wear.
  • 裤衩。
    Wǒ qù chāo shì mǎi le liǎng tiáo xīn kù chǎ.
    I went to the supermarket and bought two new pairs of underpants.
  • ，裤衩。
    Xià tiān chū hàn duō, kù chǎ yào tiān tiān huàn xǐ.
    In summer you sweat a lot, so underpants need to be changed and washed every day.

Origin

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.

Open 裤 →

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yīclothing
Sound part声符shēngfú
叉
叉chā衩chà
Same sound today

衩 uses 衣 to show it is about clothing, and 叉 to mark its sound.

Appears in
Clothing

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