(biāo) — to mark, to label, to indicate; to bid (for a contract), to tender

Definition

标 (biāo) is a more formal/written verb than 标识 or 标示, common in compound words (标签, 标志, 招标). 标 can also mean 'to bid (for a contract)', a sense the others do not share.

verb
to markto labelto indicateto bid (for a contract)to tender

Examples

  • Qǐng yòng bǐ biāo chū zhòng diǎn jù zi.
    Please mark the key sentences with a pen.
  • Zhè ge shāng pǐn shàng biāo dì jià gé shì wǔ shí yuán.
    The price marked on this product is 50 yuan on this product.
  • Wǒ men gōng sī jué dìng jìng biāo nà ge jiàn zhù xiàng mù.
    Our company decided to bid for that construction project.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
piàobiāo
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.

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