底薪 (dǐ xīn) — base pay

Definition

底薪 (dǐxīn) means 'base pay' — the fixed minimum salary before bonuses, overtime, or commissions. Often contrasted with 提成 (commission) and 奖金 (bonus) in pay-package discussions.

noun
base pay

Examples

  • 底薪。
    Wǒ de dǐ xīn shì sān qiān kuài.
    My base pay is 3000 yuan.
  • 底薪。
    Gōng sī gěi le wǒ yí fèn xīn de dǐ xīn biāo zhǔn.
    The company gave me a new base pay standard.
  • 底薪。
    Zhè ge gōng zuò de dǐ xīn hěn dī.
    The base pay for this job is very low.

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.

底dǐbase
薪xīnsalary

底 means base and 薪 means salary, referring to the basic amount of pay.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
新
新xīn薪xīn
Same sound today

In 薪, the top 艹 (plants, written 艸) marks plant material, and 新 (xīn) gives the sound.

Open 薪 →

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