胜券 (shèng quàn) — a sure win; confidence in victory; winning hand | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary/formal noun meaning "sure victory" — a winning ticket already in hand. Almost always paired with 在握 to form the set phrase 胜券在握.

noun

a sure winconfidence in victorywinning hand

Examples

胜券。
Zhè chǎng bǐ sài tā yǐ jīng shèng quàn zài wò le.
He already has the game in the bag.
，胜券。
Duì shǒu shí lì hěn qiáng, wǒ men bù néng qīng yán shèng quàn.
The opponent is very strong; we cannot talk about victory lightly.
，胜券。
Zhǐ yào wǒ men wěn zhā wěn dǎ, shèng quàn jiù wò zài wǒ men shǒu zhōng.
As long as we play steadily, the winning card is in our hands.

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.

胜shèngvictory

胜 names victory, while 券 is a token or ticket, giving a sure winning chance.

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

肉肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

生

生shēng胜shèng

Same sound today

The simplified 胜 changes the traditional 勝 by replacing part of its sound side with 生; the left 肉 relates to meat.

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

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

𠔉

𠔉𠔉券quàn

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

券 combines 𠔉 for the sound with 刀 (knife), because ancient contracts were cut in half.

Appears in

Success & Failure

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