界外球 (jiè wài qiú) — (noun) out-of-bounds ball (in sports, e.g., foo… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

out-of-bounds ball (in sports, e.g., football, basketball, tennis)

Examples

界外球。
Zhè ge jiè wài qiú cái pàn pàn dé hěn zhǔn què.
The referee made a very accurate call on this out-of-bounds ball.
界外球。
Tā bǎ qiú dǎ chū jiè wài qiú le.
He hit the ball out of bounds.
界外球，。
Duì fāng fā jiè wài qiú shí, wǒ men yí dìng yào jí zhōng zhù yì lì.
When the opponent serves an out-of-bounds ball, we must stay focused.

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.

界外outside boundary

界jièboundary外wàioutside

偏正Modifier + head

界外 (outside the boundary) plus 球 (ball) gives an out-of-bounds ball.

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.

田介界

Meaning part形符xíngfú

田田tiánfield

Sound part声符shēngfú

介

介jiè界jiè

Same sound today

界 is built from 田 (field) and 介. 田 carries the meaning, while 介 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

月

月yuè外wài

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

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.

Appears in

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