牌局 (pái jú) — a game of cards, mahjong, or dominoes; a card g… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

a game of cardsmahjongor dominoesa card game sessiona hand (the set of cards dealt to a player in a card game)

Measure word · 场

Examples

牌局，。
Jīn wǎn de pái jú yǐ jīng zhǔn bèi hǎo le, dà jiā dōu děng zhe nǐ ne.
Tonight's card game is ready; everyone is waiting for you.
牌局，。
Tā zhè yì lún pái jú fēi cháng hǎo, jī hū yíng dìng le.
His hand this round is very good; he's almost sure to win.
。
Měi zhōu liù tā men dōu huì jù zài yì qǐ dǎ pái jú.
Every Saturday they get together to play cards.

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.

牌páicards/tiles

局júsession

牌 “cards/tiles” + 局 “session” names a session of playing cards or mahjong.

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.

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

句

句jù局jú

Same sound today

The shape of 局 pairs 尸, a meaning part, with 句, a sound part.

Appears in

Games & Puzzles

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