About
The character 玻 (bō) is a phono-semantic compound. Its left-side radical 王 (wáng), a variant of the jade radical 玉 (yù), indicates a semantic category of precious stones or smooth, gem-like materials. The right-side component 皮 (pí), meaning "skin" or "surface", serves as the phonetic element, providing the pronunciation. This character is seldom used alone and appears almost exclusively in the word 玻璃 (bōlí). This term was originally a phonetic loanword used for imported transparent materials and natural rock crystal, later becoming the standard word for modern manufactured glass. Its formation reflects how early linguistic classifications grouped new translucent materials with traditional gemstones due to their similar appearance.
Example Sentences Hide
玻璃杯很干净。
小心地上的碎玻璃。
窗户的玻璃擦得很亮。
这个玻璃花瓶是手工制作的。
实验室需要耐热的玻璃器皿。
这些玻璃制品容易破碎。
他透过玻璃凝望着远处的风景。
现代建筑广泛使用玻璃幕墙。