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空头支票 (kōng tóu zhī piào) — rubber check, bounced check; empty promise, unkept promise

Definition

A 'blank check' with two senses: literally, a check with no funds behind it (rubber check, bounced by the bank); figuratively, any promise the maker can't or won't keep. Similar to 空话 but tied to a guarantee.

noun
rubber checkbounced checkempty promiseunkept promise
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 空头支票。
    Tā gěi wǒ de nà zhāng kōng tóu zhī piào bèi yín háng tuì huí le.
    The rubber check he gave me was returned by the bank.
  • 空头支票。
    Zhèng zhì jiā zài xuǎn jǔ shí jīng cháng kāi kōng tóu zhī piào.
    Politicians often make empty promises during elections.
  • ，空头支票。
    Bié xiāng xìn tā de huà, tā shuō de dōu shì kōng tóu zhī piào.
    Don't believe his words; everything he says is an empty promise.

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.

空头empty-headed
空kōngempty头tóuhead
偏正Modifier + head
支票check
支zhīpayment票piàoticket
偏正Modifier + head

The 空 empty sense in 空头 makes a 支票 payment ticket without backing.

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
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

Open 支 →

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 𢍱𢍱𢍱to rise high

票 combines 火 (fire) and 𢍱 (to rise high), originally representing sparks rising up.

Open 票 →
Appears in
Finance & BankingIdioms & Set Phrases

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