防弹背心 (fáng dàn bèi xīn) — bulletproof vest | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

bulletproof vest

Measure word · 件

Examples

防弹背心。
Jǐng chá zài zhí xíng rèn wu shí bì xū chuān fáng dàn bèi xīn.
Police officers must wear bulletproof vests while on duty.
防弹背心。
Tā huā le hěn duō qián mǎi le yí jiàn gāo zhì liàng de fáng dàn bèi xīn.
He spent a lot of money on a high-quality bulletproof vest.
防弹背心。
Zhè zhǒng fáng dàn bèi xīn kě yǐ dǐ dǎng shǒu qiāng zǐ dàn.
This type of bulletproof vest can stop pistol bullets.

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.

防弹bulletproof

防fángprevent弹tánbullet

动宾Verb + object

背心vest

背bèiback心xīnchest

联合Coordinate

防 and 弹 make “bulletproof”, while 背 and 心 name the vest.

Characters in this word

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

阝方防

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

方fāng防fáng

Same sound today

防 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) with 方, which gives the sound.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

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

北月背

Meaning part形符xíngfú

月Written in full as肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

北

北běi背bèi

Same sound today

背 was first written as 北; 北 gives the sound, and 肉 (meat, written as 月 here) was added to separate it from 北’s north meaning.

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

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Appears in

Clothing Safety & Danger

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