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限额 (xiàn é) — quota, limit, cap (on quantity or amount)

Definition

A noun meaning a set maximum or 'cap' on quantity (e.g. budget, spending, exports). Distinguished from 限度 (a more abstract limit) and 限制 (the act of limiting, often a verb).

noun
quotalimitcap (on quantity or amount)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 限额。
    Gōng sī jīn nián de chū kǒu xiàn é yǐ jīng yòng wán le.
    The company's export quota for this year has been used up.
  • 限额。
    Yín háng gěi wǒ de xìn yòng kǎ shè le yí gè xiāo fèi xiàn é.
    The bank set a spending limit on my credit card.
  • 限额。
    Zhè cì huó dòng de yù suàn xiàn é bù néng chāo guò wǔ wàn yuán.
    The budget cap for this event cannot exceed 50,000 yuan.

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.

限xiànlimit
额éamount

限额 is an 额 (amount) that is 限 (limited), giving a quota or cap.

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
⻖Written in full as阜fùmound
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn限xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

限 pairs ⻖ (mound, written 阜) with 艮 as a sound part; the mound side gives the sense of a boundary or limit.

Open 限 →

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 額; 额 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
客
客kè額é
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 額 combines 頁 (head), which points to the meaning, with 客, which gives the sound. The simplified 额 is a later abbreviation.

Open 额 →
Appears in
Business & CommerceQuantity & Amount

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