黑体 (hēi tǐ) — boldface (typeface), bold type

Definition

noun

boldface (typeface)bold type

黑体。
Zhè piān lùn wén de biāo tí yòng hēi tǐ yìn shuā.
The title of this paper is printed in boldface.
黑体。
Qǐng bǎ zhòng diǎn cí huì gǎi chéng hēi tǐ.
Please change the key vocabulary to boldface.
，黑体。
Zài pái bǎn zhōng, hēi tǐ cháng yòng yú qiáng diào.
In typesetting, boldface is often used for emphasis.

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.

体tǐtypeface/body

黑 (black) describes the appearance of 体 (typeface/body), yielding a bold black typeface.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 黑 seems to come from drawing a head marked with dots, usually read as facial tattoos.

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

骨豊體

Meaning part形符xíngfú

骨骨gǔbone

Sound part声符shēngfú

豊

豊lǐ體tǐ

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Appears in