娼妓 (chāng jì) — prostitute

Definition

noun
prostitute
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ,娼妓。
    Zài gǔ dài, xǔ duō chāng jì de shēng huó fēi cháng bēi cǎn.
    In ancient times, many prostitutes lived very miserable lives.
  • 娼妓。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le jiù shè huì chāng jì de kǔ nàn.
    This novel describes the suffering of prostitutes in old society.
  • 娼妓。
    Shè huì yīng dāng bāng zhù chāng jì zhǎo dào xīn de chū lù.
    Society should help prostitutes find new ways out.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

娼chāngprostitute
妓jìprostitute

Both 娼 and 妓 refer to a person engaged in prostitution, so together they name a prostitute.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 娼 →

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
支
支zhī妓jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape of 妓 combines 女, a woman, with 支, a part used for the sound.

Open 妓 →

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