指标 (zhǐ biāo) — target; quota; indicator; index; sign | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

指标 is a quantitative 'indicator' or 'target' (production targets, economic indicators), broader than 指数 ('index number' in stats/economics). For a plain 'sign of something', use 迹象.

noun

targetquotaindicatorindexsign

Measure word · 个

Examples

指标。
Zhè ge yuè de shēng chǎn zhǐ biāo yǐ jīng wán chéng le.
This month's production target has already been met.
指标。
Jīng jì zhǐ biāo néng fǎn yìng shì chǎng de biàn huà.
Economic indicators can reflect changes in the market.
指标。
Lǎo shī yòng xué shēng de chéng jì zuò wéi jiào xué zhì liàng de zhǐ biāo.
Teachers use students' grades as an indicator of teaching quality.

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.

指zhǐpointing

指 (pointing) and 标 (mark) combine to mean an indicator or target.

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.

扌旨指

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

旨

旨zhǐ指zhǐ

Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

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 標; 标 is its simplified writing.

木票標

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

票

票piào標biāo

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 標 pairs 木 with 票, and 票 gives the sound; the simplified 标 is the modern form of that traditional character.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Management

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