馅 xiàn filling
filling; stuffing; secret
怎么记住“馅”: 饣 food + 臽 pitfall = filling. At the dumpling party, Grandma sets out the food and presses a little pitfall into each wrapper, just deep enough for the filling.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
馅 = 饣 food + 臽 pitfall
- 饣 food meaning
- 臽 pitfall sound
At the dumpling party, Grandma sets out the food and presses a little pitfall into each wrapper, just deep enough for the filling.
How it came to be
Food gives the meaning and the sign for pitfall the sound.
用法
- The filling inside dumplings, buns, or pastry: 饺子馅 (jiǎozi xiàn) dumpling filling, 豆沙馅 (dòushā xiàn) sweet red-bean filling.
- Lives in the vivid idiom 露馅(儿) (lòuxiàn(r)), literally 'the filling shows' = to let a secret slip out, give oneself away: 他一紧张就露馅了 (tā yì jǐnzhāng jiù lòuxiàn le) he gives himself away the moment he gets nervous.
- Everyday food and colloquial register; often takes the 儿-suffix in northern speech (馅儿).