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面包 (miàn bāo) — bread

Definition

Bread — the Western-style baked loaf or sliced bread, not a Chinese steamed bun. Use 片 for slices and 袋 for a bag; 包子和 馒头 are steamed buns, a different kind of bread.

noun
bread
Measure word · 片, 袋, 块

Examples

  • 。
    Tā chī le liǎng piàn miàn bāo.
    He ate two slices of bread.
  • 面包。
    Wǒ mǎi yí dài miàn bāo.
    I buy a bag of bread.
  • 面包？
    Yí kuài miàn bāo duō shǎo qián?
    How much is a piece of bread?

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.

面miànflour
包bāobun

“面” refers to flour or dough, “包” refers to a wrapped bun; together they name bread.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

The shape of 包 pictures a fetus in a womb, or a baby wrapped in cloth.

Open 包 →
Appears in
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