防雨布 (fáng yǔ bù) — waterproof cloth; tarpaulin

Definition

noun

waterproof clothtarpaulin

Measure word · 块

防雨布。
Gōng rén men yòng fáng yǔ bù gài zhù le jiàn zhù cái liào.
Workers covered the building materials with tarpaulin.
防雨布，。
Zhè zhǒng fáng yǔ bù fáng shuǐ xìng néng hěn hǎo, shì hé hù wài shǐ yòng.
This type of tarpaulin has good waterproof performance, suitable for outdoor use.
防雨布。
Wǒ men xū yào gòu mǎi yí kuài fáng yǔ bù lái zhē gài jī qì.
We need to buy a piece of tarpaulin to cover the machine.

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.

防雨prevent rain

动宾Verb + object

防雨 “prevent rain” and 布 “cloth” make waterproof cloth.

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

Same sound today

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

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

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

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

巾巾jīnkerchief

Sound part声符shēngfú

父

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

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.