热身赛 (rè shēn sài) — warm-up match (in sports)

Definition

noun
warm-up match (in sports)
Measure word · 场

Examples

  • 热身赛。
    Míng tiān de rè shēn sài fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Tomorrow's warm-up match is very important.
  • 热身赛。
    Qiú duì zài rè shēn sài zhōng zhǎo dào le zhuàng tài.
    The team found their form in the warm-up match.
  • 热身赛。
    Zhè cì rè shēn sài shì wèi le zhǔn bèi dà sài.
    This warm-up match is to prepare for the big competition.

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.

热身warm up the body
热rèwarm身shēnbody
动宾Verb + object
赛sàimatch

热 means warm, 身 means body, and 赛 means match: a match that warms up the body.

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 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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 賽; 赛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
塞
塞sāi賽sài
Same sound today

The traditional form 賽 uses 貝 (shell) for meaning and 塞 for sound. The simplified 赛 is a later shorthand.

Open 赛 →

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