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报酬 (bào chou) — reward; remuneration; compensation

Definition

报酬 is payment received for work done — emphasizes the monetary return for one's effort or labor, more general than 薪水 (regular salary). 奖励 is a bonus award for merit, not standard pay.

noun
rewardremunerationcompensation

Examples

  • ，报酬。
    Tā gōng zuò nǔ lì, shōu dào le hěn gāo de bào chou.
    He works hard and receives very high compensation.
  • 报酬？
    Zhè fèn gōng zuò de bào chou zěn me yàng?
    What is the compensation like for this job?
  • 报酬。
    Gōng sī àn shí fā fàng bào chou.
    The company pays compensation on time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

报bàocompensate
酬chóureward

报 and 酬 both express compensation, so together they refer to payment or reward for work.

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 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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
酉酉yǒuliquor vessel; liquor
Sound part声符shēngfú
州
州zhōu酬chóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 酉 part shows a liquor vessel, matching meanings about offering or drinking liquor. The 州 part gives the sound.

Open 酬 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Money & Currency5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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