设宴 (shè yàn) — to host a banquet (formal)

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to host a banquet' — used for official or ceremonial occasions rather than everyday meals. A separable verb: insert 了 or a measure phrase between 设 and 宴 (设了一次宴).

verb
to host a banquet (formal)

Examples

  • 设宴。
    Gōng sī míng tiān wǎn shàng yào shè yàn zhāo dài kè hù.
    The company will host a banquet tomorrow evening to entertain clients.
  • 。
    Tā shè le yí cì yàn lái gǎn xiè péng you men de bāng zhù.
    He hosted a banquet to thank his friends for their help.
  • 设宴。
    Zhè cì shè yàn de dì diǎn xuǎn zài le shì zhōng xīn de dà jiǔ diàn.
    The location for this banquet was chosen at the big hotel in the city center.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

设shèset up
宴yànbanquet

设 means set up and 宴 means banquet, so the word means hosting a banquet.

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 設; 设 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì設shè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 設 uses 言 (speech) to show the meaning and 埶 to give the sound; this explanation is for 設, not the simplified 设.

Open 设 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
妟
妟yàn宴
Same sound today

宴 has 宀, a roof, above 妟, which shows a woman and the sun. 妟 also supplies the sound, and the whole shape pictures a woman under a roof with sunlight.

Open 宴 →

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