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抽签 (chōu qiān) — to draw lots; to cast lots; to pick fortune sticks (at a temple)

Definition

抽签 means to draw lots — picking at random from sticks/slips to make a decision or get a fortune. Contrast with 抽奖, which is a modern lucky-draw or raffle for prizes.

verb
to draw lotsto cast lotsto pick fortune sticks (at a temple)

Examples

  • 抽签。
    Wǒ men chōu qiān jué dìng shuí xiān fā yán.
    We'll draw lots to decide who speaks first.
  • 抽签。
    Bǐ sài qián yào xiān chōu qiān què dìng fēn zǔ.
    Before the competition, we need to draw lots to determine the groups.
  • 抽签。
    Tā qù miào lǐ chōu qiān qiú le gè shàng qiān.
    She went to the temple to pick a fortune stick and got an auspicious one.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

抽chōudraw
签qiānstick; lot

抽 means to draw out and 签 refers to the sticks or lots, so the action is drawing lots.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu抽chōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 is the hand form, written in full as 手, and the right part 由 provides the sound.

Open 抽 →

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 籤; 签 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 签 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (签, 签订) it is 簽; in others it is 籤.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
韱
韱xiān籤⁰qiān(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 籤 shows 竹, bamboo, for the material, plus 韱 to give the sound; the simplified 签 is a later shorthand.

Open 签 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Gambling & Chance

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