赛马 (sài mǎ) — horse race (noun); to race horses (verb-object) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

赛马 is a verb-object compound meaning both 'horse race' (noun) and 'to race horses' (verb). Refers specifically to the sport/event of racing horses — not other horse sports like 骑马 (horseback riding) or 马术 (equestrian).

horse race (noun)to race horses (verb-object)

Measure word · 场

Examples

赛马。
Tā xǐ huan kàn sài mǎ.
He likes watching horse races.
。
Wǒ qù nián sài guò yí cì mǎ.
I raced horses once last year.
赛马。
sài mǎ Bǐ sài fēi cháng cì jī.
Horse racing competitions are very thrilling.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

赛 (race) and 马 (horse) combine as race horses or a horse race.

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 賽; 赛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèishell

Sound part声符shēngfú

塞

塞sāi賽sài

Same sound today

The traditional form 賽 uses 貝 (shell) for meaning and 塞 for sound. The simplified 赛 is a later shorthand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Appears in

Animals & Mammals Sports & Athletics

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