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鼓点 (gǔ diǎn) — drumbeat; (in Chinese opera) clapper beats that set tempo and lead the orchestra; (figurative, colloquial) dirty trick; ulterior scheme

Definition

Literally 'drumbeat', 鼓点 also names the clapper beats in Chinese opera that set the tempo for the orchestra. Colloquially it means a sneaky, underhanded scheme or dirty trick.

noun
drumbeat(in Chinese opera) clapper beats that set tempo and lead the orchestra(figurative, colloquial) dirty trickulterior scheme

Examples

  • 鼓点。
    Zhè ge gǔ diǎn de jié zòu hěn qīng xī.
    The rhythm of this drumbeat is very clear.
  • ，鼓点。
    Zài jīng jù lǐ, gǔ diǎn kòng zhì zhe jié zòu.
    In Peking opera, the clapper beats control the tempo.
  • 鼓点。
    Tā zhè tào gǔ diǎn piàn bù liǎo wǒ.
    His set of dirty tricks can't fool me.

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.

鼓gǔdrum
点diǎnbeat

鼓 gives the instrument and 点 the beat, together naming drumbeats.

Characters in this word

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

  • 壴壴zhùdrum
  • 支支zhīhand holding drumstick

鼓 combines 壴, a drum, with 支, a hand holding a drumstick, so the character pictures a drum being struck.

Open 鼓 →

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →
Appears in
Music

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