请柬 (qǐng jiǎn) — (noun) invitation card, written invitation | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal written invitation, usually printed or on quality paper. 请帖 is a more colloquial everyday synonym for the same thing.

noun

invitation cardwritten invitation

Measure word · 张

Examples

，。
Qǐng jiǎn shōu dào le, xiè xie nǐ de yāo qǐng.
I received the invitation card, thank you for your invitation.
请柬。
Hūn lǐ de qǐng jiǎn shè jì dé hěn yōu yǎ.
The wedding invitation card is designed very elegantly.
请柬。
Tā gěi suǒ yǒu péng you jì le qǐng jiǎn.
He sent invitation cards to all his friends.

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.

柬jiǎncard

请 (invite) and 柬 (card) together mean a card for making an invitation.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 請; 请 is its simplified writing.

言青請

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

青

青qīng請qǐng

Same sound today

In the traditional form 請, 言 shows it relates to speaking, and 青 gives the sound; the simplified 请 is a later shorter form.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

束束shùtie
八八bādivision, individually

柬 shows 束, a tied bag, with 八, two marks inside it that emphasize the contents being picked out.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Mail & Messaging

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