邀请书 (yāo qǐng shū) — letter of invitation, invitation

Definition

noun
letter of invitationinvitation
Measure word · 封

Examples

  • 邀请书。
    Wǒ zuó tiān shōu dào le yì fēng yāo qǐng shū.
    I received an invitation letter yesterday.
  • 邀请书。
    Tā gěi měi wèi lái bīn xiě le yì fēng yāo qǐng shū.
    He wrote an invitation letter to each guest.
  • 邀请书。
    yāo qǐng shū Shàng xiě zhe huì yì de shí jiān.
    The invitation letter states the time of the meeting.

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.

邀请invite
邀yāoinvite请qǐngrequest
联合Side by side
书shūdocument

邀请 means invite, and 书 means document, so it denotes an invitation letter.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
敫
敫jiǎo邀yāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

邀 pairs 辶, a walking part, with 敫, which gives the sound.

Open 邀 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
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.

Open 请 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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