乒乓球拍 (pīng pāng qiú pāi) — table tennis paddle

Definition

noun
table tennis paddle
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 乒乓球拍。
    Wǒ mǎi le yí gè xīn pīng pāng qiú pāi.
    I bought a new table tennis paddle.
  • 乒乓球拍，。
    Zhè fù pīng pāng qiú pāi hěn qīng, shǒu gǎn hěn hǎo.
    This paddle is very light and feels good in the hand.
  • 乒乓球拍。
    Tā yòng pīng pāng qiú pāi liàn xí fā qiú.
    He practices serving with a table tennis paddle.

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.

乒乓
乒pīng乓pāng
球拍ball racket
球qiúball拍pāiracket
偏正Modifier + head

“乒乓” names the game, and “球拍” means a racket for ball play.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 乒 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 乓 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
求
求qiú球qiú
Same sound today

球 is built from 玉, meaning jade, and 求, which gives the sound.

Open 球 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái拍pāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拍 puts 手 (hand) beside 白, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 拍 →

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