身材 (shēn cái) — body shape, figure, build (height and weight) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

身材 refers to overall body shape and build (height plus frame). Use 个子 only when you mean just height/stature.

noun

body shapefigurebuild (height and weight)

Examples

身材。
Tā de shēn cái hěn hǎo.
She has a good figure.
，身材。
Tā jīng cháng duàn liàn, shēn cái hěn jiē shi.
He exercises often, so his build is very sturdy.
身材？
Nǐ xǐ huan shén me yàng de shēn cái?
What kind of figure do you like?

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.

材cáimaterial

身 is body and 材 is material or form, so it names the form of a body.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

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

木才材

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

才

才cái材cái

Same sound today

材 combines 木, wood, with 才, cái, as its sound part.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 5 HSK 2.0 Level 5 Appearance Body Parts 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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