贴边 (tiē biān) — hem (of a garment)

Definition

noun
hem (of a garment)
Measure word · 道

Examples

  • 贴边。
    Zhè tiáo qún zi de tiē biān hěn zhěng qí.
    The hem of this skirt is very neat.
  • 贴边。
    Tā zhèng zài fèng tiē biān.
    She is sewing the hem.
  • 贴边。
    Zhè ge tiē biān xū yào gǎi duǎn.
    This hem needs to be shortened.

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.

贴tiēattach
边biānedge

“贴” (attach) and “边” (edge) combine to mean an edge attached or turned up on a garment.

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 貼; 贴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn貼tiē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貼 pairs 貝, a shell, with 占 as a sound part; the simplified 贴 is a later shorthand.

Open 贴 →

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →

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