翻本 (fān běn) — to recoup one's gambling losses; to win back lost money

Definition

A gambling term meaning to win back money previously lost. Often appears with 输 (lose) — once you start trying to 翻本, the gambling usually gets worse.

verb
to recoup one's gambling lossesto win back lost money

Examples

  • 翻本，。
    Tā shū le qián jiù xiǎng fān běn, jié guǒ yuè shū yuè duō.
    He tried to win back his money after losing, but ended up losing even more.
  • ，。
    Tā zhè cì fān le yí cì běn, zhōng yú bǎ zhī qián shū de dōu yíng huí lái le.
    This time he recouped his losses and finally won back everything he had lost before.
  • ，翻本。
    Dǎ má jiàng lǎo shì shū, tā zài yě bù zhǐ wàng néng fān běn le.
    He keeps losing at mahjong and no longer hopes to win it back.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

翻fānturn back
本běncapital

翻 gives turning back, and 本 gives capital, so the idea is winning back lost money.

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
羽羽yǔwings
Sound part声符shēngfú
番
番fān翻fān
Same sound today

翻 pairs 羽 (wings) with 番, which gives the sound. The shape shows something fluttering.

Open 翻 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

本 adds a stroke at the bottom of a tree shape to mark the roots, giving the sense of foundation or original.

Open 本 →

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