筹 (chóu) — to plan, to prepare; to raise (funds)
Definition
As a verb, 筹 (chóu) means to plan or to raise funds — usually combined with 备 (筹备) or 措 (筹措) rather than used alone. Contrast with 凭借 ('rely on'), which names a means already in hand, not the act of gathering one.
verb
to planto prepareto raise (funds)
Examples
- 。Wǒ men zhèng zài chóu bèi míng nián de nián huì.We are preparing for next year's annual conference.
- 。Tā wèi gū ér yuàn chóu jí le yì bǐ shàn kuǎn.He raised a sum of charity funds for the orphanage.
- 。Zhè jiàn shì xū yào tí qián chóu huà hǎo cái néng zuò.This matter needs to be well planned in advance before it can be done.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 籌; 筹 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
壽
壽shòu籌chóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 籌 has 竹 (bamboo) on top and 壽 below as the sound part; the simplified 筹 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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