把式 (bǎ shì) — a person skilled in a trade (craftsman, practitioner); skill (especially in a traditional craft)

Definition

Literary/cultural word for a seasoned practitioner of a traditional handcraft (smithing, cart-driving, folk arts) and the skill itself — narrower than a generic 专家 ('expert'), tied specifically to inherited manual trades.

noun
a person skilled in a trade (craftsman, practitioner)skill (especially in a traditional craft)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā shì yí wèi chē bǎ shì, gǎn le sān shí nián mǎ chē.
    He is a cart driver who has driven horse carts for thirty years.
  • 把式。
    Zhè shǒu lǎo bǎ shì shì cóng yé ye nà lǐ xué lái de.
    This set of traditional skills was learned from grandfather.
  • 把式。
    Cūn zi lǐ zuì yǒu jīng yàn de bǎ shì shì tā.
    The most experienced craftsman in the village is him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

把bǎhandle
式shìform

Handling the form of a craft names a skilled practitioner or the skill.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
巴
巴bā把bǎ
Same sound today

把 combines 扌, a hand, with 巴 for its sound.

Open 把 →

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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì式shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

式 pairs 工, meaning work, with 弋, which gives the sound.

Open 式 →

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