代笔 (dài bǐ) — to ghostwrite, to write on behalf of someone else

Definition

代笔 (dài bǐ) means to ghostwrite — writing a text that someone else is credited as the author. Used as a verb or noun (代人代笔 / 一次代笔), and carries a slightly negative sense of hiding the true writer.

verb
to ghostwrite, to write on behalf of someone else

Examples

  • 代笔。
    Tā jīng cháng bāng bié rén dài bǐ xiě yǎn jiǎng gǎo.
    He often ghostwrites speeches for others.
  • ，。
    Zhè běn xiǎo shuō shì tā dài bié rén xiě de, tā zì jǐ yě chéng rèn dài le yí cì bǐ.
    This novel was ghostwritten by him; he himself admitted to having ghostwritten once.
  • 代笔，。
    Tā kào dài bǐ zhuàn qián, dàn bù chū míng.
    She makes money by ghostwriting, but isn't famous.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

代dàisubstitute
笔bǐpen

The '代' idea of acting for someone and the '笔' idea of writing combine to mean writing for another.

Characters in this word

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì代dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 代, 亻 shows a person, and 弋 gives the sound.

Open 代 →

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 筆; 笔 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù筆bǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The simplified 笔 is based on the traditional form 筆, which puts 竹 (bamboo) beside 聿 (writing brush). 聿 already meant the brush and supplied the sound; 竹 was added later to show it was made of bamboo.

Open 笔 →

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