好处费 (hǎo chù fèi) — gratuity, tip

Definition

好处费 (hǎochùfèi) names a payment made quietly to get a favor — a 'gratuity' or 'backhander' — usually in a work or business deal. It is more furtive and quid-pro-quo than 小费 (a normal tip for service).

noun
gratuitytip

Examples

  • 好处费。
    Tā gěi le fú wù yuán yì bǎi yuán de hǎo chù fèi.
    He gave the waiter a 100 yuan tip.
  • 好处费。
    Zhè bǐ hǎo chù fèi shì gěi zhōng jiè de.
    This gratuity is for the agent.
  • 好处费。
    Gōng sī jìn zhǐ yuán gōng shōu qǔ rèn hé hǎo chù fèi.
    The company prohibits employees from accepting any gratuities.

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.

好处benefit
好hǎogood处chùpoint
偏正Modifier + head
费fèifee

好处 means benefit or favor, and 费 means fee, so 好处费 is a payment for doing a favor.

Characters in this word

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

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →

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 處; 处 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夂夂zhǐ
几几jǐtable
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū處chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 處 pairs 虍, giving the sound, with 夂 and 几, a table, as meaning parts. The simplified 处 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 处 →

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 費; 费 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
弗
弗fú費fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 費 has 貝, a cowry shell, and 弗, which gives a sound; the simplified 费 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 费 →

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