阿拉伯人 (A lā bó rén) — Arab person; Arabian (people)

Definition

noun
Arab personArabian (people)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 阿拉伯人。
    Tā shì yí wèi A lā bó rén.
    He is an Arab.
  • 阿拉伯人。
    A lā bó rén Yǒu zì jǐ de wén huà hé yǔ yán.
    Arab people have their own culture and language.
  • 阿拉伯人。
    Wǒ zài lǚ xíng zhōng rèn shi le hěn duō A lā bó rén péng you.
    I met many Arab friends during my travels.

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.

阿拉伯Arab
阿ā拉lā伯bó
人rénperson

阿拉伯 names the Arab people, and 人 means person.

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
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě阿ā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The part 阜 points to a mound, and 可 gives the pronunciation; 阿 originally meant a big mound.

Open 阿 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái伯bó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

伯 pairs 人 (person) with 白, which gives its sound.

Open 伯 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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