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硬币 (yìng bì) — coin

Definition

A physical metal coin — the specific form of money you can hold, as distinct from 钞票/纸币 (paper banknotes) and the general concept of 钱/货币 (money/currency).

noun
coin
Measure word · 枚

Examples

  • 硬币。
    Wǒ zài dì tiě shàng jiǎn dào yì méi yìng bì.
    I found a coin on the subway.
  • 硬币。
    Xiǎo péng yǒu bǎ yìng bì tóu jìn le cún qián guàn.
    The child dropped the coin into the piggy bank.
  • 硬币，？
    Zhè xiē yìng bì dōu shì jiù de, kě yǐ huàn xīn de ma?
    These coins are all old; can I exchange them for new ones?

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.

硬yìnghard
币bìmoney

硬 means hard and 币 means money, so a hard piece of money is a coin.

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
更
更gèng硬yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

硬 is built from 石, meaning stone, to show hardness or stiffness, and 更, which gives the sound.

Open 硬 →

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 幣; 币 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì幣bì
Same sound today

The traditional form 幣 combines 敝 (which gives the sound) and 巾 (cloth), and meant silk given as a gift or sacrifice; the simplified 币 is a shorthand.

Open 币 →
Appears in
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