球台 (qiú tái) — pool table | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Counted with the measure word 张 (like a flat surface). Refers specifically to the billiards/pool table itself; 打台球 is the action played on it.

noun

pool table

Measure word · 张

Examples

球台。
Tā mǎi le yì zhāng xīn de qiú tái.
He bought a new pool table.
球台。
Wǒ men jīng cháng zài qiú tái shàng dǎ tái qiú.
We often play billiards on the pool table.
球台，。
Zhè zhāng qiú tái shì jìn kǒu de, zhì liàng hěn hǎo.
This pool table is imported and of good quality.

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.

球 gives ball, 台 gives table; together they name a table used for ball games.

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

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

求

求qiú球qiú

Same sound today

球 is built from 玉, meaning jade, and 求, which gives the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

喬喬qiáo
室室shì

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

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