邮筒 (yóu tǒng) — mailbox (physical, outdoor); postbox

Definition

noun

mailbox (physical, outdoor)postbox

Measure word · 个

邮筒。
Wǒ zài lù kǒu kàn dào le yí gè lǜ sè de yóu tǒng.
I saw a green mailbox at the intersection.
邮筒。
Zhè fēng xìn bì xū jīn tiān tóu jìn yóu tǒng.
This letter must be dropped into the postbox today.
邮筒。
Zhè ge yóu tǒng měi tiān xià wǔ wǔ diǎn kāi xiāng.
This mailbox is collected at five o'clock every afternoon.

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yóumail/post

筒tǒngtube/cylinder

邮 relates to mail, and 筒 is a tube or cylinder, so the object is a mail tube.

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.

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

𥫗同筒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

同

Same sound today

The bamboo part 竹 marks 筒 as a bamboo tube, and 同 gives its sound.

Appears in