桥牌 (qiáo pái) — bridge (card game) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

bridge (card game)

Measure word · 副

Examples

桥牌。
Wǒ fù qīn tuì xiū hòu xǐ huan dǎ qiáo pái.
My father likes to play bridge after retirement.
桥牌。
Tā men měi zhōu sān wǎn shàng dōu jù zài yì qǐ dǎ qiáo pái.
They get together every Wednesday evening to play bridge.
桥牌。
qiáo pái Shì yì zhǒng xū yào cè lüè hé pèi hé de zhǐ pái yóu xì.
Bridge is a card game that requires strategy and cooperation.

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.

桥 evokes bridge and 牌 evokes cards, so 桥牌 names the bridge card game.

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 橋; 桥 is its simplified writing.

木喬橋

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

喬

喬qiáo橋qiáo

Same sound today

The traditional form 橋 pairs 木 (wood) with 喬 (qiáo), which gave the character its sound; the simplified 桥 is a later abbreviation.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

片卑牌

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

卑

卑bēi牌pái

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

牌 puts 片, a flat piece, beside 卑, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Games & Puzzles

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