保修期 (bǎo xiū qī) — warranty period, guarantee period

Definition

A compound noun meaning the fixed length of time a manufacturer or seller promises to repair a product for free. 保修 refers to the repair service itself; 期 is the time span.

noun
warranty periodguarantee period

Examples

  • 保修期。
    Zhè tái diàn nǎo de bǎo xiū qī shì sān nián.
    The warranty period for this computer is three years.
  • 保修期。
    Qǐng zài bǎo xiū qī nèi lián xì kè fú.
    Please contact customer service within the warranty period.
  • 保修期，。
    bǎo xiū qī Guò le, xiū lǐ xū yào fù fèi.
    The warranty period has expired, repairs require payment.

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.

保修guarantee repair
保bǎoguarantee修xiūrepair
动宾Verb + object
期qīperiod

“保” means guarantee and “修” means repair; with “期” for period, it denotes the warranty period.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

Open 保 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →

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