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天花板 (tiān huā bǎn) — (in a room) ceiling; (figurative) upper limit, cap; (slang) the highest level; the very best (in a given field)

Definition

Literally 'ceiling,' used figuratively for an upper limit or peak level in a field. Unlike 上限 (a hard numerical cap) and 封顶 (verb, 'to cap'), 天花板 names the ceiling itself — a state, not an action.

noun
(in a room) ceiling(figurative) upper limitcap(slang) the highest levelthe very best (in a given field)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 天花板。
    Gōng rén zhèng zài xiū lǐ tiān huā bǎn.
    Workers are repairing the ceiling.
  • 天花板。
    Zhè cì tán pàn yǒu jià gé tiān huā bǎn.
    This negotiation has a price cap.
  • 天花板。
    Tā de wǔ dǎo zài zhè ge lǐng yù shì tiān huā bǎn.
    Her dancing is the best in this field.

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.

天花ceiling
天tiān花huā
板bǎnboard

天花板 combines 天花, a term for the ceiling, with 板 'board', referring to the board that forms a ceiling.

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Open 花 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn板bǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

板 pairs 木 (tree) with 反 as a sound part.

Open 板 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Rooms & Spaces

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