波

bō

氵 + 皮

Definitions

bō (noun) wave; ripple

Bō (noun) Poland

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 皮 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 皮

About

波 is a phonosemantic compound: the water radical 氵 on the left indicates the meaning, while the right component 皮 (pí, meaning "skin" or "surface" as an independent character) provides the sound. Originally, it denoted a wave or ripple on the surface of a body of water. This physical sense later extended to any propagating disturbance, such as sound or light waves, and, by analogy, to sudden upheavals or turbulent shifts in human affairs.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

海上的波浪很大。

Hǎi shàng de bōlàng hěn dà.

The waves on the sea are very big.

微波炉热食物很快。

Wēibōlú rè shíwù hěn kuài.

The microwave oven heats food quickly.

他的声音有些波动。

Tā de shēngyīn yǒuxiē bōdòng.

His voice has some fluctuations.

人生总会有波折。

Rénshēng zǒng huì yǒu bōzhé.

Life always has twists and turns.

湖面波光粼粼，非常美丽。

Hú miàn bōguāng línlín, fēicháng měilì.

The lake surface sparkles with ripples, very beautiful.

经济波动影响了很多人的生活。

Jīngjì bōdòng yǐngxiǎng le hěnduō rén de shēnghuó.

Economic fluctuations have affected many people's lives.

无线电波用于通信技术。

Wúxiàndiànbō yòng yú tōngxìn jìshù.

Radio waves are used in communication technology.

经过多次波折，他们终于完成了这个项目。

Jīngguò duō cì bōzhé, tāmen zhōngyú wánchéng le zhège xiàngmù.

After many twists and turns, they finally completed this project.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 氵

Component: 皮

波