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网球 (wǎng qiú) — tennis (sport); tennis ball

Definition

The specific sport of tennis (and the ball used in it). Pairs naturally with 打: 打网球 means 'play tennis' — different from 球 (ball in general) or 篮球/足球/排球/乒乓球 (other ball sports).

noun
tennis (sport)tennis ball
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 网球？
    Nǐ xǐ huan dǎ wǎng qiú ma?
    Do you like to play tennis?
  • 网球。
    Wǒ měi tiān xià wǔ dǎ wǎng qiú.
    I play tennis every afternoon.
  • 网球。
    Tā mǎi le yí gè xīn wǎng qiú.
    He bought a new tennis ball.

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.

网wǎngnet
球qiúball

网 means net and 球 means ball, naming a ball game with a net.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 網; 网 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
罔
罔wǎng網wǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 網 pairs 糸 (rope) with 罔 to give the sound; the simplified 网 is a later shorthand.

Open 网 →

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.

Open 球 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 4Ball GamesSports & Athletics

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