对垒 (duì lěi) — to face off, to be pitted against each other (in competition)

Definition

对垒 (duì lěi) is a formal verb meaning two sides face off against each other in direct competition — typically used for sports matchups or business rivalry, not casual conflict.

verb
to face offto be pitted against each other (in competition)

Examples

  • 对垒。
    Liǎng zhī qiáng duì jiāng zài jué sài zhōng duì lěi.
    Two strong teams will face off in the finals.
  • 。
    Zhè liǎng zhī qiú duì yǐ jīng duì guò yí cì lěi le.
    These two teams have already faced off once.
  • 对垒。
    Tā men gōng sī zài shì chǎng shàng yǔ duì shǒu duì lěi.
    Their company confronts the opponent in the market.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

对duìface
垒lěirampart

对 means face, and 垒 means rampart or camp, so the word pictures facing each other across camps.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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 壘; 垒 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
畾
畾léi壘lěi
Same sound today

The traditional 壘 has 土 (dirt) and 畾 as a sound part; the simplified 垒 is a later shorthand.

Open 垒 →

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