棋牌 (qí pái) — chess and card games

Definition

noun
chess and card games

Examples

  • 棋牌。
    Tā men zhōu mò xǐ huan qù qí pái shì wán.
    They like to go to the chess and card room on weekends.
  • 棋牌。
    Tā xǐ huan wán gè zhǒng qí pái yóu xì.
    He likes to play various chess and card games.
  • 棋牌。
    Zhè jiā chá guǎn tí gōng qí pái yú lè fú wù.
    This tea house provides chess and card entertainment services.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

棋qíboard game
牌páicard

棋 refers to board games and 牌 to cards; together they name the games of chess and cards.

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mùwooden
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí棋qí
Same sound today

棋 has 木 on the left, showing it was made of wood, and 其 on the right gives the sound.

Open 棋 →

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
片片piàn
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.

Open 牌 →

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