优待券 (yōu dài quàn) — coupon; (complimentary or discount) ticket

Definition

noun
coupon(complimentary or discount) ticket
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 优待券。
    Wǒ yòng zhè zhāng yōu dài quàn mǎi le bàn jià diàn yǐng piào.
    I used this coupon to buy a half-price movie ticket.
  • 优待券，。
    Tā shōu dào le yì zhāng miǎn fèi de yōu dài quàn, kě yǐ qù cān jiā yīn yuè huì.
    He received a free coupon so he can go to the concert.
  • 优待券。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de yōu dài quàn zhǐ néng zài zhōu mò shǐ yòng.
    This restaurant's coupons can only be used on weekends.

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.

优待favorable treatment
优yōuexcellent待dàitreat
偏正Modifier + head
券quànticket

优待 means 'favorable treatment' and 券 means 'ticket', so it is a ticket for special treatment.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 優; 优 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
憂
憂yōu優yōu
Same sound today

The traditional form 優 combines 亻 (人, person) with 憂 for the sound; the simplified 优 is a later abbreviation.

Open 优 →

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
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì待dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

待 is built from 彳 on the left and 寺 on the right; 彳 is tied to the meaning, and 寺 gives the sound.

Open 待 →

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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠔉
𠔉𠔉券quàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

券 combines 𠔉 for the sound with 刀 (knife), because ancient contracts were cut in half.

Open 券 →

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