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比率 (bǐ lǜ) — ratio; rate; proportion

Definition

noun
ratiorateproportion

Examples

  • 比率。
    Rén kǒu zēng zhǎng bǐ lǜ zuì jìn jǐ nián yǒu suǒ xià jiàng.
    The population growth rate has declined in recent years.
  • 比率。
    Wǒ men xū yào jì suàn yí xià chéng běn hé lì rùn de bǐ lǜ.
    We need to calculate the ratio of cost to profit.
  • 比率32。
    Zhè ge xué xiào de nán nǚ xué shēng bǐ lǜ shì 3 bǐ 2.
    The ratio of male to female students at this school is 3:2.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

比bǐratio
率lǜrate

比率 joins 比 ratio/compare and 率 rate, both expressing proportion.

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.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 匕匕bǐ

比 is two 匕 placed side by side. Chu Wan-li treats both as sound parts, while an old reading takes the side-by-side arrangement as putting things next to each other.

Open 比 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

率 was drawn as a bird-catching net, with a stick above and below. In the form described, the lower horizontal stroke is missing, so the whole shape represents a rope.

Open 率 →
Appears in
Math

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