马刀 (mǎ dāo) — saber (a type of cavalry sword); mussel-like shellfish

Definition

Two unrelated senses share this form: a cavalry saber (sword) and a mussel-like shellfish. The word is disambiguated only by context, since the two meanings are written and pronounced identically.

noun
saber (a type of cavalry sword)mussel-like shellfish
Measure word · 把
Easily confused

Examples

  • 马刀。
    Tā shōu cáng le yì bǎ gǔ dài mǎ dāo.
    He collected an ancient saber.
  • 马刀。
    Shì bīng men ná zhe mǎ dāo chōng fēng.
    The soldiers charged with sabers.
  • 马刀，。
    Zhè zhǒng mǎ dāo gè tóu hěn dà, wèi dào hěn hǎo.
    This type of shellfish is large and tastes great.

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.

马mǎhorse
刀dāoblade

马 gives horse, and 刀 gives a blade, naming a cavalry saber and a shellfish like a blade.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

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

The shape of 刀 comes from a simple picture of a knife.

Open 刀 →

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