(jiǎng) — (noun) prize, award; (verb) to award, to give a prize

Definition

奖 is the general word for 'prize/award' and also the verb 'to award'. 奖金 is the money itself, 奖品 is the gift object, 奖项 is a category of award.

noun
prizeaward
verb
to awardto give a prize
Measure word ·

Examples

  • Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng dé le yī děng jiǎng.
    He won first prize in the competition.
  • Xiào zhǎng jiǎng le tā yì běn shū.
    The principal awarded him a book.
  • Zhè ge jiǎng shì gěi zuì hǎo de xué shēng de.
    This award is for the best student.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 獎; 奖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
jiāngjiǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 獎 pairs 將 as a sound part with 犬, a dog; the simplified 奖 is a later shorthand. The evidence says the dog part's meaning is unclear, perhaps referring to guiding a dog by voice.

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