契据 (qì jù) — deed (formal document transferring property); c…

Definition

A formal written document that records a legal agreement or transaction. It is more general than 合同 (a full contract) and older/more formal in tone.

noun

deed (formal document transferring property)contract (legally binding agreement)receipt (written acknowledgment of payment)

Measure word · 份

Easily confused

契据。
Zhè fèn qì jù shì fáng chǎn guò hù de píng zhèng.
This deed is the certificate for property transfer.
契据，。
Shuāng fāng qiān shǔ le qì jù, hé zuò zhèng shì shēng xiào.
Both parties signed the contract, and the cooperation officially took effect.
契据。
Qǐng bǎo guǎn hǎo zhè bǐ jiāo yì de qì jù.
Please keep the receipt for this transaction safe.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

契qìcontract

据jùevidence

契 means contract and 据 means evidence; together they denote a formal document proving rights.

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.

㓞大契

Meaning part形符xíngfú

大大dàperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

㓞

㓞㓞契qì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

契 pairs 大 (person) with 㓞, which means 'to engrave,' showing a person making an agreement or carving something with a knife.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

居

Same sound today

据 uses 手 (hand) as one part and 居 to give the sound.