棋类 (qí lèi) — board games (as a category); chess and similar games

Definition

noun
board games (as a category)chess and similar games

Examples

  • 棋类，。
    Tā xǐ huan gè zhǒng qí lèi, yóu qí shì wéi qí.
    He likes various board games, especially Go.
  • 棋类。
    Zhè ge bó wù guǎn zhǎn shì le zhōng guó gǔ dài de qí lèi.
    This museum displays ancient Chinese board games.
  • 棋类。
    qí lèi Zài zhōng guó yǒu zhe yōu jiǔ de lì shǐ.
    Board games have a long history in China.

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.

棋qíboard game
类lèicategory

“棋” gives board games and “类” category: the category of chess-like games.

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
木木mùwooden
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí棋qí
Same sound today

棋 has 木 on the left, showing it was made of wood, and 其 on the right gives the sound.

Open 棋 →

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 類; 类 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
頪
頪lèi類lèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 類 pairs 犬, which relates to the meaning, with 頪, which gives the sound. The simplified 类 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 类 →

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