靠枕 (kào zhěn) — back cushion; back pillow | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

back cushionback pillow

Measure word · 个

Examples

靠枕，。
Wǒ zài shā fā shàng fàng le yí gè kào zhěn, zuò zhe shū fu duō le.
I put a back cushion on the sofa, and it's much more comfortable to sit.
靠枕，。
Zhè ge kào zhěn de tián chōng wù shì jì yì mián, zhī chēng xìng hěn hǎo.
The filling of this back pillow is memory foam, and it has good support.
，靠枕。
Cháng tú kāi chē shí, yí gè hé shì de kào zhěn néng huǎn jiě yāo bù pí láo.
When driving long distances, a suitable back cushion can relieve lower back fatigue.

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.

靠kàolean against

靠 suggests leaning and 枕 is a pillow, together a pillow for leaning.

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.

告非靠

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

告

告gào靠kào

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

靠 is made of 告 and 非: 告 gives the sound, and 非 gives the meaning.

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

木冘枕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

冘

冘yóu枕zhěn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

枕 is written with 木 (wood) beside 冘; 木 is the meaning part and 冘 the sound part.

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