藤球 (téng qiú) — sepak takraw (traditional Southeast Asian sport played with a rattan ball)

Definition

藤球 is the Chinese name for sepak takraw, a Southeast Asian sport played by kicking a rattan ball over a net — similar to volleyball but using feet, knees, chest, and head instead of hands.

noun
sepak takraw (traditional Southeast Asian sport played with a rattan ball)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 藤球，。
    Tā xǐ huan dǎ téng qiú, shì xiào duì de duì yuán.
    He likes playing sepak takraw and is a member of the school team.
  • 藤球。
    Zhè chǎng téng qiú bǐ sài xī yǐn le hěn duō rén lái guān kàn.
    This sepak takraw match attracted many spectators.
  • 藤球。
    téng qiú Zài dōng nán yà yì xiē guó jiā fēi cháng liú xíng.
    Sepak takraw is very popular in some Southeast Asian countries.

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.

藤téngrattan
球qiúball

藤 is rattan and 球 is ball; together they name the rattan ball used in sepak takraw.

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
滕
滕téng藤téng
Same sound today

藤 combines 艸 (grass) and 滕, which gives the sound, to write a type of plant.

Open 藤 →

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 →

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