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可比 (kě bǐ) — comparable (attributive, used before nouns)

Definition

Academic/formal 'comparable', used almost only before nouns in technical, economic, or statistical contexts (e.g. 可比价格, 可比性). Not everyday conversation.

adjective
comparable (attributive, used before nouns)

Examples

  • 可比。
    Liǎng guó de jīng jì shù jù shì àn kě bǐ jià gé jì suàn de.
    The economic data of both countries are calculated at comparable prices.
  • 可比。
    Zhè fèn bào gào tí gōng le kě bǐ qǐ yè de cái wù zhǐ biāo.
    This report provides financial indicators of comparable companies.
  • ，。
    Yóu yú kǒu jìng bù tóng, zhè liǎng zǔ shù jù bìng bú jù yǒu kě bǐ xìng.
    Because the definitions differ, these two sets of data are not comparable.

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.

可kěcan/worthy of
比bǐcompare

可 means can, and 比 means compare; together they mean able to be compared.

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 匕匕bǐ

比 is two 匕 placed side by side. Chu Wan-li treats both as sound parts, while an old reading takes the side-by-side arrangement as putting things next to each other.

Open 比 →
Appears in
Comparison & Degree

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