Chinese Compound Words: Chinese Words Are Easy, But Maybe We Are BIASED

Word Structure: “Biased” 偏正式

This is part 8 of an 8-part series exploring all 7 types of Chinese compound words. Click below for the other parts:

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7 – Part 8

Biased 偏正式 (piān zhèngshì) Chinese Compound Words

The second morpheme in a “Biased” word is the more important of the two. The first morpheme is merely describing the second morpheme. There are three types:

The Characteristic of Nouns

All of these are people 人 (rén). The first morpheme describes what characteristic each one means.

工人 (gōngrén) is a worker (worker person). 女人 (nǚrén) is a woman (woman person). 富人 (fù rén) is a rich person, etc.

具 means “tool.” 工具 (work tool) is a general term for all tools. The characters 刀具 (knife tool) is a knife that is specifically used as a tool, and 玩具 (play tool) is a toy for children. All are “tools” (the 2nd morpheme), and the first morpheme describes the characteristic of the tool. This makes them Chinese compound words because their meaning is made up of two morphemes.

So, the Chinese Character 文 (wén) refers to the language, and which language it is referring to is explained in the first morpheme. Chinese (中 zhōng), Japanese (日 hi) & English (英 yīng)

Chinese Compound Words With 上 shàng – on, upon

早上 zǎoshàng – morning

山上 shānshàng– on the mountain, on a mountain

Chinese Compound Words With 光 guāng- ray or beam of light

月光 yuèguāng – moonlight

日光 rìguāng – sunlight

灯光 dēngguāng – lamplight

Chinese Compound Words With 水 shuǐ- water or liquid

口水 kóushuǐ – saliva

白水 báishuǐ – clear water

自来水 zìláishuǐ – tap water

泉水 quánshuǐ – spring water

江水 jiāngshuǐ – river water

河水 héshuǐ – river water

湖水 húshuǐ – lake water

墨水 mòshuǐ – ink

源 yuán- source, the source

来源 láiyuán – source (of something)

光源 guāngyuán – light source

水源 shuǐyuán – water source

河源 héyuán – river source

Chinese Compound Words With 果 guǒ – fruit

水果 shuíguǒ – fruit (in general)

苹果 píngguǒ – apple

芒果 mángguǒ – mango

国 guó- country

中国 zhōngguó – China

美国 měiguó – America

英国 yīngguó – England

外国 wàiguó – foreign countries (outside+country)

内 nèi- within/in & 外 wài- outside, out of

国内 guónèi – domestic (country+inside)

室内 shìnèi – indoors (room+inside)

体内 tǐnèi – inside the body (body+inside)

门内 ménnèi – inside the door (inside+door)

国外 guówài – foreign (country+outside)

室外 shìwài – outdoor (room+outside)

体外 tǐwài – outside the body (outside+body)

门外 ménwài – outside the door (door+outside)

Chinese Compound Words With: 时 shí- time

小时- xiǎoshí – hour (small+time)

到时 dàoshí – at the time of arrival (arrive+time)

同时 tóngshí – at the same time (same+time)

力 lì- power, ability

压力 yālì – pressure, stress (press down+power)

能力 nénglì – ability (ability+power)

智力 zhìlì – intelligence (wisdom+ability)

魄力 pòlì – boldness (spirit+ability)

威力 wēilì – power, might (might+power)

人力 rénlì – workforce (person+power)

活力 huólì – vitality (life+power)

火力 huǒlì – firepower (fire+power)

Chinese Compound Words With 灾 zāi- disaster

火灾 huǒzāi – fire disaster

水灾 shuǐzāi – flood (or any water-related disaster)

蝗灾 huángzāi – Plague of locusts

The First Morpheme adjusts the Second Morpheme turning it into a Chinese Compound Word

热爱 rèài

ardently love, have a deep love for (hot/passionate & love, not just any kind of love, passionate love. “Love” is still the “biased” morpheme)

痛恨 tònghèn

hate bitterly, utterly detest (pain & hate, not just any kind of hate, hate that causes pain. “Hate” is still the “biased” morpheme of the Chinese Compound Word)

迟到 chídào

to arrive late (late & arrive, not just any kind of arrival, late arrival. “Arrive” is still the “biased” morpheme)

轻视 qīngshì

belittle, look down on, underrate (not important & look at, not just “looking at” anything, looking at something with a feeling that it is unimportant. “Look at” is still the “biased” morpheme)

公审 gōngshěn

Open Trial (in court) (public & interrogate, not just any interrogation, a public one. “Interrogate” is still the “biased” morpheme)

公演 gōngyǎn

Public performance (public & performance, not just any performance, a public one. “Performance” is still the “biased” morpheme)

静坐 jìngzuò

Sit Quietly (quiet & sit, not just any type of sitting, quiet sitting. “Sit” is still the “biased” morpheme)

高涨 gāozhǎng

rise; upsurge; run high (high & rise, not just any kind of rise, a *high* type of rise. “Rise” is still the “biased” morpheme)

Modifying Adjectives and Chinese Compound Words

These Biased words are similar to how we would make metaphorical comparisons in English like “as cold as ice” or “as straight as an arrow.” The second morpheme is still the more important; the first one is the “comparative” morpheme. Therefore they are Chinese Compound Words. Here are the examples:

冰冷 bīnglěng – Cool as ice (ice & cool)

火热 huǒrè – Hot as fire (fire & hot)

笔直 bǐzhí – Straight as a pen (pen & straight)

草绿 cǎolǜ – Green as grass (grass & green)

雪白 xuěbái – White as snow (snow & white)

枣红 zǎohóng – Red as a jujube (jujube & red)

银灰 yínhuī – Grey like silver (silver & grey)

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