游戏厅 (yóu xì tīng) — video game arcade; gaming hall

Definition

A public place with coin-operated or arcade machines where people play video games. Refers to the physical venue, not the games themselves.

noun

video game arcadegaming hall

Measure word · 家

Examples

游戏厅。
Zhōu mò wǒ men cháng qù yóu xì tīng dǎ yóu xì.
We often go to the arcade to play games on weekends.
游戏厅。
Zhè jiā yóu xì tīng de jī qì dōu hěn xīn.
The machines at this arcade are all very new.
游戏厅。
Tā xiǎo shí hou zuì xǐ huan qù yóu xì tīng wán.
When he was little, he loved going to the arcade to play.

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.

游戏game

游yóuplay戏xìplay

联合Coordinate

厅tīnghall

游戏 means games, and 厅 is a hall, so 游戏厅 names a hall for 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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

斿

斿yóu游yóu

Same sound today

游 combines 水 (water) with 斿, which gives the sound yóu and also relates to travelling.

Open 游 →

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 戲; 戏 is its simplified writing.

䖒戈戲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

戈戈gēhalberd

Sound part声符shēngfú

䖒

䖒䖒戲xì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 戲, the shape combines 戈 (halberd) with 䖒, which gives the sound; the word originally meant an army's wing or flank. The simplified 戏 is a later shorthand, not the form described here.

Open 戏 →

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 廳; 厅 is its simplified writing.

广聽廳

Meaning part形符xíngfú

广广guǎnghouse

Sound part声符shēngfú

聽

聽tīng廳tīng

Same sound today

The traditional form 廳 pairs 广 (house) with 聽, which gives the sound; the simplified 厅 is a shorthand and its parts are not the original ones.

Open 厅 →