供品 (gòng pǐn) — offering (to a deity or ancestor), sacrificial item

Definition

An offering presented to a deity, Buddha, or ancestor — food, flowers, or other items placed at a shrine, temple, or grave. 供 (gòng) here means 'to consecrate / make an offering', distinct from its other pronunciation gōng ('to supply').

noun
offering (to a deity or ancestor)sacrificial item
Measure word · 份
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，供品。
    Qīng míng jié shí, rén men huì zài zǔ xiān mù qián bǎi fàng gòng pǐn.
    During Qingming Festival, people place offerings in front of their ancestors' graves.
  • 供品。
    Sì miào lǐ bǎi mǎn le xiāng kè men dài lái de gòng pǐn.
    The temple was filled with offerings brought by pilgrims.
  • 供品、。
    Zhè xiē gòng pǐn bāo kuò shuǐ guǒ, gāo diǎn hé xiān huā.
    These offerings include fruit, pastries, and fresh flowers.

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.

供gòngoffer
品pǐngoods

The parts 供 and 品 suggest goods offered to a deity or ancestor.

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rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng供gòng
Same sound today

供 is made of 亻, a person, and 共, which gives the sound gòng.

Open 供 →

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

品 repeats the same simple shape three times, representing various objects.

Open 品 →

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