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马蹄铁 (mǎ tí tiě) — horseshoe (for horses); horseshoe magnet

Definition

noun
horseshoe (for horses)horseshoe magnet
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 马蹄铁。
    Zhè pǐ mǎ xū yào huàn xīn de mǎ tí tiě le.
    This horse needs new horseshoes.
  • 马蹄铁。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ yǒu yí gè mǎ tí tiě cí tiě.
    There is a horseshoe magnet in the lab.
  • 马蹄铁。
    Zhè ge mǎ tí tiě xíng zhuàng de cí tiě hěn tè bié.
    This horseshoe-shaped magnet is very special.

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.

马蹄horse hoof
马mǎhorse蹄tíhoof
偏正Modifier + head
铁tiěiron

马 means horse, 蹄 means hoof, and 铁 means iron: an iron piece for a horse hoof.

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 →

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
帝
帝dì蹄tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蹄 uses 足 (foot) to point to feet and 帝 to give its sound.

Open 蹄 →

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢧤
𢧤𢧤鐵tiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.

Open 铁 →
Appears in
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