TongTong
Sign in

条件 (tiáo jiàn) — (noun) condition, circumstance; (noun) requirement, prerequisite

Definition

条件 means both 'conditions' (a situation you act under, like 在困难∼下) and 'requirement' (a rule you must meet). 要求 leans more toward a 'demand' from a person; 前提 is a stricter 'prerequisite' for an argument or agreement.

noun
conditioncircumstancerequirementprerequisite
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 条件，。
    Tiān qì tiáo jiàn bù hǎo, wǒ men qǔ xiāo le bǐ sài.
    The weather conditions were bad, so we canceled the game.
  • 条件。
    Zhè xiē tiáo jiàn nǐ bì xū mǎn zú.
    You must meet these conditions.
  • 条件，。
    Zài zhè yàng kùn nan de tiáo jiàn xià, tā men wán chéng le rèn wu.
    Under such difficult conditions, they completed the task.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

条tiáoclause
件jiànitem

“条” (clause) and “件” (item) together name the requirements or circumstances involved.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →

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

件 is made of 人, 'man', and 牛, 'cow'.

Open 件 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Abstract Concepts2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.