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一对 (yī duì) — classifier for pairs or couples (people, animals, body parts, or items that naturally come in twos)

Definition

A quantifier for things that naturally come in twos: couples, body parts (一对手), or matched items (一对手镯). Pairs two specific items, unlike 双 which counts two loose ones.

quantifier
classifier for pairs or couples (people, animals, body parts, or items that naturally come in twos)

Examples

  • 一对，。
    Tā men shì yī duì qíng lǚ, zài yì qǐ wǔ nián le.
    They are a couple (of lovers) who have been together for five years.
  • 。
    Tā mǎi le yī yī duì ěr huán sòng gěi mā ma.
    She bought a pair of earrings to give to her mom.
  • 。
    Tā yǒu yī yī duì dà dà de yǎn jing.
    He has a pair of big eyes.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →
Appears in
Measure Words

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