(biāo) — (literary) strong wind; gale; (bound form) violent; furious; unrestrained (used in compounds)

Definition

Literary noun for a sudden, violent wind — a gale. The bound form 飙- appears in compounds like 飙升 (soar) to mean 'wild, unrestrained'.

noun
(literary) strong windgale
bound form
violentfuriousunrestrained (used in compounds)
Measure word ·

Examples

  • biāo Fēng zhòu qǐ, juǎn qǐ màn tiān huáng shā.
    A sudden gale arose, whipping up yellow sand everywhere.
  • Gǔ dài wén rén cháng yòng kuáng biāo lái bǐ yù shè huì de dòng dàng.
    Ancient writers often used 'raging gale' as a metaphor for social upheaval.
  • Tā de nù huǒ rú kuáng biāo yì bān měng liè.
    His anger was as fierce as a raging gale.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 飆; 飙 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
fēngwind
Sound part声符shēngfú
biāo
Same sound today

The traditional form 飆 pairs 風 (wind) with 猋 for its sound; the simplified 飙 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Appears in

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.