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对联 (duì lián) — rhyming couplet pasted on doorways, especially during the Spring Festival; a pair of vertical verse lines with parallel structure

Definition

Two vertical strips of rhyming text hung as a matched pair on either side of a doorway — a core Spring Festival tradition. Counted with 副/幅, like a painting or a scroll.

noun
rhyming couplet pasted on doorways, especially during the Spring Festivala pair of vertical verse lines with parallel structure
Measure word · 副, 幅

Examples

  • ，对联。
    Chūn jié shí, jiā jiā hù hù dōu yào tiē yí fù duì lián.
    During the Spring Festival, every household pastes up a pair of couplets.
  • 对联。
    Zhè fù duì lián shì shū fǎ jiā qīn zì xiě de.
    This pair of couplets was written by a calligrapher himself.
  • 对联。
    Hóng zhǐ shàng de duì lián dài lái hǎo yùn.
    The couplets on red paper bring good luck.

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.

对duìpaired
联liánlinked

「对」 gives the idea of paired or antithetical lines, and 「联」 refers to a linked couplet.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聯; 联 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聯 combines 耳 (ear) and 絲 (silk); 联 is a simplified form of 聯.

Open 联 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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