邮政编码 (yóu zhèng biān mǎ) — zip code; postal code

Definition

noun
zip codepostal code

Examples

  • 邮政编码？
    Qǐng wèn nín de yóu zhèng biān mǎ shì duō shǎo?
    May I ask what your zip code is?
  • 邮政编码。
    Tián xiě bāo guǒ dān shí bié wàng le xiě yóu zhèng biān mǎ.
    Don't forget to write the postal code when filling out the parcel form.
  • 邮政编码100000。
    Zhè ge dì qū de yóu zhèng biān mǎ shì 100000.
    The postal code for this area is 100000.

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.

邮政postal service
邮yóumail政zhèngadministration
偏正Modifier + head
编码code
编biānarrange码mǎcode
动宾Verb + object

邮政 (postal) and 编码 (code) combine to mean postal code.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 郵; 邮 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 郵 pairs 垂 (“far, remote”) with 邑 (“city”) to show a relay station; the simplified 邮 is a later shorthand.

Open 邮 →

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
攴攴pūaction
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng政zhèng
Same sound today

政 combines 正, which gives the sound, with 攴, an action-related part.

Open 政 →

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 編; 编 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
扁
扁biǎn編biān
Same sound today

The traditional form 編 pairs 糸 (thread), for knitting a book together, with 扁 as the sound part; the simplified 编 is only a shorthand.

Open 编 →

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 碼; 码 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shístone; rock
Sound part声符shēngfú
馬
馬mǎ碼mǎ
Same sound today

The traditional form 碼 pairs 石 (stone) with 馬 for its sound; the simplified 码 is a later shorthand.

Open 码 →

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