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假币 (jiǎ bì) — counterfeit money

Definition

noun
counterfeit money
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 假币。
    Tā shōu dào le yì zhāng jiǎ bì.
    He received a counterfeit bill.
  • 假币。
    Shāng jiā yào xué huì shí bié jiǎ bì.
    Merchants should learn to identify counterfeit money.
  • 假币。
    Shǐ yòng jiǎ bì shì wéi fǎ de.
    Using counterfeit money is illegal.

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.

假jiǎfalse
币bìcurrency

假 is false and 币 is currency, so the result is counterfeit currency.

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
叚
叚jiǎ假jiǎ
Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Open 假 →

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 幣; 币 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì幣bì
Same sound today

The traditional form 幣 combines 敝 (which gives the sound) and 巾 (cloth), and meant silk given as a gift or sacrifice; the simplified 币 is a shorthand.

Open 币 →
Appears in
Crime & PoliceMoney & Currency

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