鸭舌帽 (yā shé mào) — peaked cap; baseball cap

Definition

noun
peaked capbaseball cap
Measure word · 顶

Examples

  • 鸭舌帽。
    Tā dài le yì dǐng yā shé mào.
    He wore a peaked cap.
  • 鸭舌帽。
    Zhè dǐng yā shé mào shì lán sè de.
    This peaked cap is blue.
  • 鸭舌帽。
    Wǒ xǐ huan nà dǐng yā shé mào.
    I like that peaked cap.

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.

鸭舌duck tongue
鸭yāduck舌shétongue
偏正Modifier + head
帽màocap

A 帽 like a 鸭舌, i.e. a peaked cap.

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 鴨; 鸭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鳥鳥niǎobird
Sound part声符shēngfú
甲
甲jiǎ鴨yā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鴨 uses 甲 for its sound and 鳥 for bird; the simplified 鸭 is a shorthand.

Open 鸭 →

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

舌 was drawn as a snake's forked tongue rising from an open mouth.

Open 舌 →

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
冒
冒mào帽mào
Same sound today

帽 uses 巾 (cloth) for the meaning and 冒 for the sound. The earlier form 冃 was later written with 目 and 巾 added.

Open 帽 →

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