赌博机 (dǔ bó jī) — gambling machine (e.g., slot machine)

Definition

noun
gambling machine (e.g., slot machine)
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 赌博机，。
    Tā zài dǔ chǎng lǐ wán dǔ bó jī, shū le hěn duō qián.
    He played gambling machines at the casino and lost a lot of money.
  • 赌博机。
    Zhè zhǒng dǔ bó jī hěn róng yì ràng rén shàng yǐn.
    This kind of gambling machine is very addictive.
  • 赌博机。
    Zhèng fǔ jìn zhǐ zài gōng gòng chǎng suǒ fàng zhì dǔ bó jī.
    The government prohibits placing gambling machines in public places.

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.

赌博gamble
赌dǔgamble博bówager
联合Side by side
机jīmachine

赌博 names gambling and 机 names a machine, giving a machine for gambling.

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 賭; 赌 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě賭dǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賭 combines 貝 (shell; money) with 者, and this shape expresses the meaning to wager or to bet. The simplified 赌 is a shorthand.

Open 赌 →

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
十十shíten
Sound part声符shēngfú
尃
尃fū博
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from combining 十 (ten) with 尃; 尃 gives the sound.

Open 博 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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