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舞台 (wǔ tái) — stage (for performances); arena; platform (figurative)

Definition

舞台 is literally the performance stage but widely used figuratively for any arena or platform where someone acts or is seen (e.g. 国际舞台). 平台 is the modern word for digital/marketplace platforms; 台 alone is a generic platform/station.

noun
stage (for performances)arenaplatform (figurative)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 舞台，。
    Zhè ge wǔ tái hěn dà, kě yǐ róng nà yì qiān rén.
    This stage is very big and can hold a thousand people.
  • 舞台。
    Tā zhōng yú zǒu shàng le guó jì wǔ tái.
    She finally stepped onto the international stage.
  • 舞台。
    Zhè ge lùn tán wèi nián qīng rén tí gōng le yí gè zhǎn shì zì jǐ de wǔ tái.
    This forum provides a stage for young people to showcase themselves.

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.

舞wǔdance
台táiplatform

舞 (dance) and 台 (platform) combine to mean a platform for dancing.

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
舛舛chuǎnsteps, feet in convergent direction
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú舞wǔ
Same sound today

舞 combines 舛, showing feet in converging steps, with 無 above. 無 gave the sound and also preserved its older meaning of dancing, so the shape points to dancing.

Open 舞 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →
Appears in
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