镍币 (niè bì) — nickel (coin)

Definition

noun
nickel (coin)
Measure word · 枚

Examples

  • 镍币。
    Zhè méi niè bì shì mín guó shí qī fā xíng de.
    This nickel coin was issued during the Republican era.
  • 镍币。
    Wǒ zài jiù huò shì chǎng zhǎo dào le yì méi xī yǒu de niè bì.
    I found a rare nickel coin at the flea market.
  • 镍币。
    Tā yòng yì méi niè bì mǎi le yì zhāng yóu piào.
    He bought a stamp with a nickel coin.

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.

镍niènickel
币bìcoin

镍 (nickel) and 币 (coin) together give a coin made of nickel.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 镍 →

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 幣; 币 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì幣bì
Same sound today

The traditional form 幣 combines 敝 (which gives the sound) and 巾 (cloth), and meant silk given as a gift or sacrifice; the simplified 币 is a shorthand.

Open 币 →

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