包场 (bāo chǎng) — to book the entire venue (theater, restaurant, etc.) for a private event

Definition

To reserve an entire venue — a whole theater, restaurant, or hall — for one group's private use. Common for company events, weddings, or birthdays.

verb
to book the entire venue (theater, restaurant, etc.) for a private event

Examples

  • 包场，。
    Wǒ men gōng sī jīn wǎn zài diàn yǐng yuàn bāo chǎng, qǐng quán tǐ yuán gōng kàn diàn yǐng.
    Our company is booking the entire cinema tonight and treating all employees to a movie.
  • ，。
    Wǒ péng you shēng rì shí zài yì jiā háo huá cān tīng bāo le yí gè chǎng, tè bié rè nao.
    My friend booked an entire luxury restaurant for their birthday party, it was really lively.
  • ，。
    Tā men jié hūn bāo le hǎo jǐ gè chǎng, měi chǎng dōu yǒu bù tóng de jié mù.
    For their wedding they booked several different venues, each with a different program.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

包bāobook
场chǎngvenue

包 means book and 场 means venue, together describing booking the whole place.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 包 pictures a fetus in a womb, or a baby wrapped in cloth.

Open 包 →

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 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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