赛 (sài) — to compete; to surpass / to excel
Definition
赛 (sài) is the short verb root 'to compete / to surpass,' almost always used inside compounds like 比赛, 参赛, 赛跑 — rarely on its own. 比 比赛, it focuses on outperforming; 比 竞争, it's an event, not ongoing rivalry.
verb
to competeto surpass / to excel
Examples
- 赛。Míng tiān wǒ men sài yì bǎi mǐ.Tomorrow we compete in the 100-meter dash.
- 赛。Tā de sù dù sài guò le suǒ yǒu rén.His speed surpassed everyone's.
- ，。Zhè cì tián jìng bǐ sài, zhǐ yǒu sān gè rén cān sài.In this track and field competition, only three people are competing.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 賽; 赛 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
The traditional form 賽 uses 貝 (shell) for meaning and 塞 for sound. The simplified 赛 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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