请帖 (qǐng tiě) — invitation card; written invitation

Definition

请帖 is a casual, spoken word for an invitation card. 请柬 is a more formal, written alternative; 帖子 usually refers to online posts, not paper invitations.

noun
invitation cardwritten invitation
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 请帖。
    Wǒ shōu dào le tā de jié hūn qǐng tiě.
    I received her wedding invitation.
  • 请帖。
    Zhè cì huó dòng xū yào tí qián fā qǐng tiě.
    We need to send out invitations in advance for this event.
  • 请帖。
    Tā qīn zì xiě le měi zhāng qǐng tiě.
    He personally wrote each invitation card.

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.

请qǐnginvite

请 (invite) and 帖 (card) together mean a card for making an invitation.

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 請; 请 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng請qǐng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 請, 言 shows it relates to speaking, and 青 gives the sound; the simplified 请 is a later shorter form.

Open 请 →

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
巾巾jīna square item of cloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn帖tiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 巾 shows a square item of cloth. The right part 占 gives the sound.

Open 帖 →

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