标杆 (biāo gān) — (noun) surveyor's pole; benchmark; (noun) model; example; standard worth emulating

Definition

标杆 is literally a surveyor's pole used to mark a standard, but in modern usage it almost always means a benchmark or model worth emulating. Common in business and self-improvement contexts, not everyday speech.

noun
surveyor's polebenchmarkmodelexamplestandard worth emulating
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 标杆，。
    Zhè ge qǐ yè shì háng yè biāo gān, hěn duō gōng sī dōu zài xué tā.
    This company is a benchmark for the industry; many firms are learning from it.
  • 标杆。
    Tā men yòng biāo gān cè liáng le gōng dì de dì xíng.
    They used a surveyor's pole to measure the terrain of the construction site.
  • 标杆，。
    Tā shì wǒ men gōng sī de biāo gān, gōng zuò tài dù zhí dé měi gè rén xué xí.
    She is a model employee in our company; her work attitude is worth learning from everyone.

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.

标biāomark
杆gānpole

标 means a mark or standard and 杆 means pole, giving a marked pole and by extension a model.

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 標; 标 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
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.

Open 标 →

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mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān杆gǎn
Same sound today

杆 pairs 木 (tree) with 干, which gives the sound. The 木 part shows the thing is made of wood.

Open 杆 →

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