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作陪 (zuò péi) — to be an accompanying guest (alongside the chief guest); to help entertain the honored guest

Definition

作陪 (zuòpéi) means being an accompanying guest at a banquet — invited alongside the main guest of honor to help entertain them. Note: the row's pinyin is given as zuō, but the standard reading for this word is zuòpéi.

verb
to be an accompanying guest (alongside the chief guest)to help entertain the honored guest

Examples

  • ，作陪。
    Jīn wǎn shì zhǎng shè yàn, yāo qǐng le jǐ wèi qǐ yè jiā zuò péi.
    The mayor is hosting a banquet tonight and has invited several entrepreneurs to accompany the guest of honor.
  • 作陪，。
    Tā zuò wéi lǎo péng you bèi qǐng lái zuò péi, zhāo hu guì bīn.
    He was invited as an old friend to help entertain the distinguished guest.
  • 作陪。
    Zhè cì yàn xí xū yào jǐ wèi néng hē jiǔ de rén lái zuò péi.
    This banquet needs a few people who can drink to accompany and entertain the guest.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

作zuòdo/act as
陪péiaccompanying

「作」 (act as) and 「陪」 (accompanying) combine to mean acting as an accompanying guest.

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
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →

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
阜阜fùsoil mountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu陪péi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

陪 pairs 阜, a mound of piled-up soil, with 咅 as a sound part; the mound gives the sense of joining up or staying close, as in accompanying.

Open 陪 →
Appears in
Friends & SocialSocial Roles & Status

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