阳春面 (yáng chūn miàn) — (noun) plain noodles in a simple broth, a Shanghai-style dish

Definition

A Shanghai-style dish of plain noodles served in a light broth, typically garnished only with scallions. The name (literally 'spring sun noodles') signals its simplicity — no meat, no heavy toppings.

noun
plain noodles in a simple brotha Shanghai-style dish
Measure word · 碗

Examples

  • 阳春面。
    Zhè jiā diàn de yáng chūn miàn wèi dào hěn zhèng zōng.
    The yangchun noodles at this shop taste very authentic.
  • 阳春面，。
    Tā diǎn le yì wǎn yáng chūn miàn, zhī jiā le diǎn cōng huā.
    He ordered a bowl of yangchun noodles, only adding a little scallion.
  • 阳春面，。
    yáng chūn miàn Suī rán jiǎn dān, dàn chī qǐ lái hěn xiāng.
    Although yangchun noodles are simple, they taste very fragrant.

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.

阳春simple dish style
阳yáng春chūn
面miànnoodle

阳春 names a simple dish style, and 面 names noodles.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陽; 阳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùhill
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng陽yáng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 陽, 阜 shows a hill and 昜 is the older character for the word, tied to sunshine and the sound; simplified 阳 is a later shorthand.

Open 阳 →

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
艸艸cǎograss
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
屯
屯tún春chūn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

春 combines 艸 (grass) and 日 (sun) with 屯, which supplies the sound and is described as a swollen sprout.

Open 春 →

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

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

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