TongTong
Sign in

二传手 (èr chuán shǒu) — (noun) setter (in volleyball); (figurative) intermediary; go-between; middleman

Definition

Originally a volleyball term for the 'setter' who delivers the second pass. By extension, it means an 'intermediary' who links two sides — a person or organization that channels information, cooperation, or resources between others.

noun
setter (in volleyball)(figurative) intermediarygo-betweenmiddleman
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 二传手。
    Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng bàn yǎn èr chuán shǒu de jué sè.
    He plays the role of a setter in the match.
  • 二传手。
    Zhè jiā qǐ yè chōng dāng le shuāng fāng hé zuò de èr chuán shǒu.
    This company acted as an intermediary for cooperation between the two sides.
  • 二传手。
    Xīn wén méi tǐ zài zhèng fǔ hé gōng zhòng zhī jiān shí cháng chéng wéi èr chuán shǒu.
    News media often become intermediaries between the government and the public.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

二传second pass
二èrsecond传chuánpass
偏正Modifier + head
手shǒuperson

二传 (second pass) and 手 together mean a setter or go-between.

Characters in this word

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

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →
Appears in
Ball Games

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.