防盗门 (fáng dào mén) — security door

Definition

noun
security door
Measure word · 扇

Examples

  • 防盗门。
    Wǒ men jiā xīn zhuāng le yí gè fáng dào mén.
    We installed a new security door at our home.
  • 防盗门，。
    Zhè zhǒng fáng dào mén hěn jiē shi, xiǎo tōu jìn bù lái.
    This kind of security door is very sturdy; thieves can't get in.
  • 防盗门。
    Wǎn shàng jì de suǒ hǎo fáng dào mén.
    Remember to lock the security door at night.

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.

防盗prevent theft
防fángprevent盗dàotheft
动宾Verb + object
门méndoor

防 means prevent, 盗 means theft, and 门 is a door, giving a theft-proof door.

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.

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.

Open 防 →

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 盜; 盗 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 盜 combines 㳄 (drooling/craving) with a vessel shape, meaning to covet someone else's possessions and steal; 盗 is the simplified writing of 盜.

Open 盗 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 門; 门 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 門 pictures a gate as two door shapes side by side; the simplified 门 is a later shorthand.

Open 门 →

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