靶

bǎ

巴 + 革

Definitions

bǎ target; mark

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 革 represents the meaning and 巴 represents the sound.

Semantic: 革 Phonetic: 巴

About

The character 靶 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic component 革 'leather, hide' on the left, and the phonetic 巴 on the right. Originally, it referred to the leather reins or straps of a horse's bridle, used by a rider for steering. Over time, the meaning shifted completely to a target for archery or marksmanship, a change probably inspired by early targets being made of stretched animal hides. This target sense entirely replaced the original equestrian meaning. Today, the character has shed its equestrian origins entirely and is used to mean any kind of target: physical marks for shooting, abstract goals, and biological targets in fields like medicine.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他瞄准那个靶子。

Tā miáozhǔn nàge bǎzi.

He aimed at that target.

士兵们在靶场练习射击。

Shìbīngmen zài bǎchǎng liànxí shèjī.

The soldiers are practicing shooting at the firing range.

射箭时一定要看清靶心。

Shèjiàn shí yīdìng yào kàn qīng bǎxīn.

When shooting arrows, you must see the bullseye clearly.

这次训练的移动靶很难命中。

Zhè cì xùnliàn de yídòng bǎ hěn nán mìngzhòng.

The moving target in this training session is very hard to hit.

新兵第一次打靶成绩还不错。

Xīnbīng dì yī cì dǎbǎ chéngjī hái búcuò.

The new recruit's first target shooting results were not bad.

这个科研项目以癌症细胞为靶点。

Zhège kēyán xiàngmù yǐ áizhèng xìbāo wéi bǎdiǎn.

This research project targets cancer cells.

现代射击训练中常用电子靶。

Xiàndài shèjī xùnliàn zhōng cháng yòng diànzǐ bǎ.

Electronic targets are commonly used in modern shooting training.

新型导弹能精确锁定并摧毁远程目标靶。

Xīnxíng dǎodàn néng jīngquè suǒdìng bìng cuīhuǐ yuǎnchéng mùbiāo bǎ.

The new missile can accurately lock onto and destroy long-range target drones.

Related Characters

Component: 巴

Component: 革

靶