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伴侣 (bàn lǚ) — companion, partner, mate

Definition

伴侣 refers to a close, lasting life partner — romantic partner, spouse, or long-term companion. More intimate and committed than 伙伴 (general partner/associate) and 同伴 (comrade/companion in a shared activity).

noun
companionpartnermate
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 伴侣。
    Wǒ de māo shì wǒ zuì zhōng shí de bàn lǚ.
    My cat is my most loyal companion.
  • ，伴侣。
    Zài jiàn shēn fáng, tā shì wǒ gù dìng de bàn lǚ.
    At the gym, he is my regular partner.
  • ，伴侣。
    Tā men bù jǐn shì tóng shì, yě shì shēng huó zhōng de bàn lǚ.
    They are not only colleagues but also companions in life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

伴bàncompanion
侣lǚcompanion

伴 and 侣 both refer to someone who goes with another, giving the sense of a companion.

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn伴bàn
Same sound today

伴 puts 亻 (person) beside 半. The person part fits the meaning of companion, and 半 gives the sound.

Open 伴 →

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 侶; 侣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺅Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
呂
呂lǚ侶lǚ
Same sound today

The traditional form 侶 is made from 人 (person) and 呂; 人 gives the companion meaning and 呂 gives the sound.

Open 侣 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Romance & Marriage5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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