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中彩 (zhòng cǎi) — to win the lottery / to win a prize in a lottery

Definition

Literally 'hit the prize' — a fixed expression meaning to win a lottery, used as a single verb (often with 了). 彩 refers to the lottery draw itself, not the prize money.

verb
to win the lottery / to win a prize in a lottery

Examples

  • 中彩，。
    Tā zuó tiān zhòng cǎi le, gāo xìng dé bù dé liǎo.
    He won the lottery yesterday and was extremely happy.
  • ，。
    Tā zhōng le tóu cǎi, jiǎng jīn hěn gāo.
    He won first prize; the prize money is very high.
  • ，。
    Zhè cì miàn shì néng chéng gōng, zhēn xiàng zhōng le cǎi yí yàng.
    Getting this interview to succeed is really like winning the lottery.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

中zhōnghit
彩cǎiprize

中 gives hit and 彩 gives prize, meaning win a prize.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi彩cǎi
Same sound today

彩 puts 采, which gives the sound, next to 彡, the three-stroke mark that carries the meaning.

Open 彩 →
Appears in
Gambling & Chance

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