钹 (bó) · cymbals (Chinese hand cymbals)

Measure Word

一副钹 fù

Meanings

1 cymbals (Chinese hand cymbals)

Characters

钹

bó

cymbals

Examples

HSK 7-9

锣鼓队里少不了钹。

Luógǔ duìlǐ shǎobuliǎo bó.

A gong-and-drum troupe can't do without cymbals.

HSK 7-9

他两手一拍，钹发出响亮的声音。

Tā liǎngshǒu yì pāi, bó fāchū xiǎngliàng de shēngyīn.

He clapped his hands together and the cymbals rang out loudly.

Tips

culture

A pair of round brass plates struck together, central to Chinese percussion ensembles (锣鼓) and opera orchestras alongside the 锣 (gong) and 鼓 (drum). Introduced into China via Central Asia during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, likely from India where they are called tāla.

Components

radical

钅 jīn

metal; gold (radical form of 金)

Left metal radical (side form of 金) signals that 钹 names a metal object - here a pair of brass cymbals struck together in temple music and traditional opera. The indexing radical, putting 钹 alongside 钟 bell, 锣 gong, 铃 small bell.

phonetic

犮 bá

pull; uproot (rare standalone)

Right 犮 supplies the sound - bá drifting to bó with regular vowel shift. 犮 is rarely seen standalone today but appears as phonetic in a small family: 拔 pull out, 跋 trek, 茇 grass roots, 钹 cymbals. The shared sound and rough-pulling imagery binds the group together.