钸 (bū) — (rare) metal plate; used in archaic or technical contexts

Definition

钸 (bū) is an archaic/technical word for a flat metal plate (often a sheet used for armor or industrial purposes). It is rare in modern Chinese — learners will mostly meet it in historical or specialist texts.

noun
(rare) metal plateused in archaic or technical contexts
Measure word · 块
Easily confused

Examples

  • 钸。
    Zhè kuài bū de biǎo miàn fēi cháng guāng huá.
    The surface of this metal plate is very smooth.
  • 钸。
    Gǔ dài gōng jiàng yòng bū zhì zuò kuī jiǎ.
    Ancient artisans used metal plates to make armor.
  • 钸。
    Zhè zhǒng bū de yìng dù hěn gāo.
    This type of metal plate has very high hardness.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 鈽; 钸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
布
布bù鈽
Same sound today

The traditional form 鈽 puts 金 (metal) beside 布, which shows how it is pronounced; the simplified 钸 is a shorthand.

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