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国际象棋 (guó jì xiàng qí) — chess (Western-style)

Definition

noun
chess (Western-style)
Measure word · 副

Examples

  • 国际象棋。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xǐ huan xià guó jì xiàng qí.
    He has liked playing chess since he was a child.
  • 国际象棋。
    Xué xí guó jì xiàng qí de guī zé bìng bù nán.
    Learning the rules of chess is not difficult.
  • 国际象棋。
    Zhè chǎng guó jì xiàng qí bǐ sài fēi cháng jīng cǎi.
    This chess match was very exciting.

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.

国际international
国guócountry际jìbetween
偏正Modifier + head
象棋chess
象xiàngelephant棋qíchess
偏正Modifier + head

国 and 际 give international, and 象 and 棋 give chess, naming international chess.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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 際; 际 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì際⁰jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 際 pairs 阝 with 祭: 阝 gives the meaning and 祭 gives the sound. The simplified 际 is a later shorthand.

Open 际 →

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

象 is drawn as an elephant, with a long trunk, a head, and a big body.

Open 象 →

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
木木mùwooden
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí棋qí
Same sound today

棋 has 木 on the left, showing it was made of wood, and 其 on the right gives the sound.

Open 棋 →
Appears in
Games & Puzzles

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