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主辩 (zhǔ biàn) — main debater; primary speaker in a debate

Definition

A compound noun referring to the lead speaker on a debate team — the person who delivers the main statement and rebuttals. Rare outside formal debate (辩论赛) contexts.

main debaterprimary speaker in a debate
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 主辩，。
    Tā shì wǒ men duì de zhǔ biàn, fù zé dì yī lún chén shù.
    He is our team's main debater, responsible for the first-round statement.
  • ，主辩。
    Zài biàn lùn sài zhōng, zhǔ biàn de fā yán shí jiān zuì cháng.
    In a debate competition, the main debater has the longest speaking time.
  • 主辩，。
    Zhè wèi zhǔ biàn luó ji qīng xī, fǎn bó le duì fāng de lùn diǎn.
    This main debater had clear logic and refuted the opponent's arguments.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

主zhǔmain
辩biàndebater

主 gives 'main/primary' and 辩 refers to a debater, so 主辩 means the main debater or primary speaker.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 辯; 辩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
辡
辡biàn辯biàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 辯 pairs 言, meaning say, with 辡, which gives the sound; the simplified 辩 is a later shorthand.

Open 辩 →
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