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顶部 (dǐng bù) — top (of an object or space)

Definition

noun
top (of an object or space)

Examples

  • 顶部。
    Shān de dǐng bù yǒu hěn duō xuě.
    The top of the mountain has a lot of snow.
  • 顶部。
    Bǎ zhè ge píng zi fàng zài dǐng bù.
    Put this bottle on the top.
  • 顶部。
    Tā de míng zì zài míng dān de dǐng bù.
    His name is at the top of the list.

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.

顶dǐngtop
部bùpart

顶 gives the top position and 部 gives the part, so it means the upper part.

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 頂; 顶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng頂dǐng
Same sound today

The traditional form 頂 pairs 頁, meaning head, with 丁, which supplies the sound; the simplified 顶 is a later abbreviation.

Open 顶 →

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
邑邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu部bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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