查票 (chá piào) — to check tickets (on trains, at shows, etc.)

Definition

Verbal phrase: 查 (check/inspect) + 票 (ticket). Used as a verb-object construction to describe the act of inspecting tickets, typically by staff on trains, at cinemas, or venues. Reduplicates or takes a measure word as 查一次票.

verb
to check tickets (on trains, at shows, etc.)

Examples

  • 查票。
    Chéng wù yuán zhèng zài chá piào.
    The conductor is checking tickets.
  • ，。
    Wǒ men shàng le huǒ chē yǐ hòu, liè chē yuán chá le yí cì piào.
    After we got on the train, the attendant checked the tickets once.
  • ，查票。
    Jìn rù diàn yǐng yuàn zhī qián, gōng zuò rén yuán yào xiān chá piào.
    Before entering the cinema, the staff need to check the tickets first.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

查chácheck
票piàoticket

查 is to check and 票 is ticket, forming the action of checking tickets.

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
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě查chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

查 pairs 木 (wood) with 且, which shows the sound. It originally meant a hawthorn tree or a wooden raft.

Open 查 →

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 𢍱𢍱𢍱to rise high

票 combines 火 (fire) and 𢍱 (to rise high), originally representing sparks rising up.

Open 票 →

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