#20 – Compound Words in Chinese
Compound Words in Chinese
Chinese has been described as a language of Compound Words. An idea is often expressed in two or more Chinese characters. Multiple characters representing a single concept are called compound or compound words. The vast majority of compounds consist of two characters.
For example:
1. believe = 相 xianḡ信xiǹ
相 means each other or mutually
信 means trust
2. disfigure = 损 suň 毁huǐ
损 means harm, damage, lessen
毁 means destroy
3. degrade = 贬 biaň黜 chù
贬 means reduce, condemn
黜 means remove, dismiss
4. advertisement = 广guanǧ告gaò
广 means vast, extensive, spread
告 means inform, announce
5. famous = 有 yoǔ 名 minǵ 的
有 means have, possess
名 means name, celebrity
的 is a particle-word which follows a noun, pronoun, adjective, verb or phrase to show that it is an attribute of that noun, pronoun, adjective, verb or phrase.
6. American = 美 meǐ 国guó 的 de
美 means beautiful
国 means countty
的 means belonging to America or American
7. basketball = 篮lań 球 qiú
篮 means basket. Note the radical 竹 on top of 篮 which means bamboo. In ancient China, baskets were made of bamboo.
球 means ball
8. killing = 杀 shā 死sǐ
杀 means slaughter, fight, weaken or curtail
死 means death
9. defeating = 打 dǎ 败baì
打 means beat, battle, fight, attack
败 means loss, fail, spoil, decay
10. flying women = 飞feī 天tian̄
飞 means flying
天 means sky, heaven
The two words together 飞天 represent flying goddesses skilled in dance and athletics painted on the ancient murals of Dunhuang.
11. government = 政zheng̀ 府fǔ
政 means political, administrative
府 means office, official residence
12. massive = 巨jù 大dà 的
巨 means huge, tremendous
大 means big
的 is an attribute of the adjective 巨大
13. public = 公gonḡ众zhong̀
公 means official, public, state-owned.
众 means many, numerous, multitude
14. including = 包baōō 括 kuò
包 means wrap, surround
括 means draw together, contract
15. Yao Ming = Yaó 姚 Minǵ 明
Name of famous NBA basketball player
姚 is a Chinese surname
明 means bright, brilliant
16. superstar = 大 dà 明minǵ 星xinḡ
大 means big
明 means bright, brilliant
星 means star