顶骨 (dǐng gǔ) — parietal bone

Definition

noun
parietal bone

Examples

  • 顶骨。
    Zhè kuài dǐng gǔ bǎo hù dà nǎo.
    This parietal bone protects the brain.
  • 顶骨。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de dǐng gǔ.
    The doctor examined his parietal bone.
  • 顶骨。
    dǐng gǔ Shì tóu gǔ de yí bù fen.
    The parietal bone is part of the skull.

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
骨gǔbone

顶 is top and 骨 is bone, together the top bone.

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →

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