赠券 (zèng quàn) — complimentary ticket, free ticket, voucher | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A 赠券 (zèngquàn) is a free voucher or ticket given as a gift or promotion — for a meal, movie, or product — not purchased. Unlike 优惠劵 (yōuhuìquàn), it costs nothing and is usually received, not bought at a discount.

noun

complimentary ticketfree ticketvoucher

Measure word · 张

Examples

赠券，。
Zhè jiā cān tīng sòng le yì zhāng zèng quàn, kě yǐ miǎn fèi chī yí cì.
This restaurant gave a free voucher that lets you eat once for free.
赠券。
Tā yòng zèng quàn huàn le liǎng zhāng diàn yǐng piào.
He exchanged the complimentary ticket for two movie tickets.
赠券。
Gòu wù mǎn wǔ bǎi yuán jí kě huò dé yì zhāng zèng quàn.
Spend 500 yuan or more and you can get a free voucher.

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.

赠 means given, and 券 means ticket, giving a complimentary ticket or voucher.

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 贈; 赠 is its simplified writing.

貝曾贈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèi

Sound part声符shēngfú

曾

曾céng贈zèng

Same sound today

The traditional form 贈 combines 貝 with 曾, which supplies the sound; the simplified 赠 is a shorthand.

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

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

𠔉

𠔉𠔉券quàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

券 combines 𠔉 for the sound with 刀 (knife), because ancient contracts were cut in half.

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