鼻 (bí) — nose (bound form, used in compound words)
Definition
鼻 (bí) is a bound form meaning 'nose' — it almost never stands alone in modern Chinese, but combines with other characters to form common words like 鼻子 (nose), 鼻孔 (nostril), and 鼻涕 (nasal mucus).
bound form
nose (bound form, used in compound words)
Examples
- 。Wǒ de bí zi hěn téng.My nose hurts a lot.
- ，。Tā gǎn mào le, liú bí tì.He has a cold and his nose is running.
- 。Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de bí kǒng.The doctor examined her nostrils.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
畀
畀bì鼻bí
Same sound today
鼻 pairs 自, meaning nose, with 畀, which gives the sound.
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