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检票 (jiǎn piào) — to check tickets; to have one's ticket inspected

Definition

A specific compound: 'to check / inspect tickets' (at a station, gate, or event). Not a general 'inspect' verb like 检查 or 检验 — always pairs with 票.

verb
to check ticketsto have one's ticket inspected

Examples

  • 。
    Qǐng xiān jiǎn le piào zài jìn qù.
    Please get your ticket checked first before going in.
  • 检票？
    Wǒ men zài nà r jiǎn piào ma?
    Shall we check tickets over there?
  • 检票。
    Tā zhèng zài jiǎn piào.
    He is checking tickets.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

检jiǎncheck
票piàoticket

检 means check and 票 means ticket, so the action is 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 檢; 检 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān檢jiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 檢 pairs 木 (wood) with 僉 as a sound part; it may originally have pictured a blade on top of a wooden spear. The simplified 检 is a later shorthand.

Open 检 →

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 →
Appears in
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