调查表 (diào chá biǎo) — questionnaire

Definition

noun
questionnaire
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 调查表。
    Qǐng tián xiě zhè fèn diào chá biǎo.
    Please fill out this questionnaire.
  • 调查表。
    Wǒ men shōu dào le hěn duō diào chá biǎo.
    We received many questionnaires.
  • 调查表。
    Zhè ge diào chá biǎo yǒu èr shí gè wèn tí.
    This questionnaire has twenty questions.

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.

调查investigate
调tiáoinvestigate查chácheck
联合Side by side
表biǎoform

调查 means investigate and 表 means form, so it is a form for investigation.

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 調; 调 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
周
周zhōu調tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 調 pairs 言 (speech) with 周, which shows how it was pronounced. The simplified 调 is a later shorthand.

Open 调 →

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mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě查chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

查 pairs 木 (wood) with 且, which shows the sound. It originally meant a hawthorn tree or a wooden raft.

Open 查 →

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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