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比划 (bǐ huà) — to gesture, to gesticulate (using hands to show or describe); to imitate the moves of a martial art (by following a teacher's example); (colloquial) to fight, to come to blows

Definition

比划 (bǐhua) is a casual verb with three distinct senses: gesticulating with your hands to explain something, going through the motions of martial arts under a teacher, or (colloquially) coming to blows. The last sense is slangy and informal.

verb
to gestureto gesticulate (using hands to show or describe)to imitate the moves of a martial art (by following a teacher's example)(colloquial) to fightto come to blows

Examples

  • 比划。
    Tā yì biān shuō yì biān yòng shǒu bǐ huà.
    He gestured with his hands while talking.
  • 比划，。
    Jiào liàn zài qián biān bǐ huà, xué yuán zài hòu biān gēn zhe xué.
    The coach demonstrates the moves in front, and the students follow and learn behind.
  • 比划。
    Nà liǎng gè rén zài jiē shàng bǐ huà qǐ lái le.
    Those two started fighting in the street.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

比bǐcompare
划huàdraw

比划 combines 比 (to show by comparison) and 划 (to trace), describing hand motions that indicate something.

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.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 匕匕bǐ

比 is two 匕 placed side by side. Chu Wan-li treats both as sound parts, while an old reading takes the side-by-side arrangement as putting things next to each other.

Open 比 →

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
刀刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
戈
戈gē划huá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

划 is made of 刀, a knife, and 戈, a weapon. The 戈 part gives the sound.

Open 划 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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