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贡品 (gòng pǐn) — tribute; offerings (to the emperor or gods); (figurative) top-quality product; premium article

Definition

Items offered as tribute to an emperor or to gods in a temple — a historical/cultural term. Figuratively, ∼级 means top-grade, premium quality (e.g. tea).

noun
tributeofferings (to the emperor or gods)(figurative) top-quality productpremium article

Examples

  • 贡品。
    Gǔ dài gè guó měi nián dōu yào xiàng huáng dì jìn xiàn gòng pǐn.
    In ancient times, various states had to present tribute to the emperor every year.
  • 贡品，。
    Zhè zhǒng chá yè bèi chēng wéi gòng pǐn jí, jià gé fēi cháng áng guì.
    This type of tea is called premium grade and is very expensive.
  • 贡品。
    Sì miào lǐ bǎi mǎn le xìn tú dài lái de gòng pǐn.
    The temple was filled with offerings brought by believers.

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.

贡gòngtribute
品pǐngoods

The tribute offering plus goods together denote articles sent to a court.

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 貢; 贡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèi
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng貢gòng
Same sound today

The traditional form 貢 uses 貝 for meaning and 工 for sound; the simplified 贡 is a later abbreviation.

Open 贡 →

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

品 repeats the same simple shape three times, representing various objects.

Open 品 →
Appears in
Chinese Culture & CustomsHistory

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