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跳板 (tiào bǎn) — (literal) gangplank; springboard (physical plank used for boarding or diving); (figurative) stepping stone; launchpad (something used to gain a better position or opportunity)

Definition

A noun with two senses: the literal plank for boarding a ship or diving, and the figurative 'stepping stone' — something used to reach a bigger goal (e.g., 当作跳板).

noun
(literal) gangplankspringboard (physical plank used for boarding or diving)(figurative) stepping stonelaunchpad (something used to gain a better position or opportunity)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 跳板。
    Wǒ men zǒu guò tiào bǎn shàng le chuán.
    We walked across the gangplank and boarded the ship.
  • 跳板。
    Tā bǎ zhè fèn gōng zuò dàng zuò jìn rù dà gōng sī de tiào bǎn.
    He treats this job as a stepping stone to enter a big company.
  • 跳板。
    Liú xué jīng lì chéng le tā chuàng yè de tiào bǎn.
    His study-abroad experience became a springboard for starting his own business.

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.

跳tiàojump
板bǎnboard

“跳” refers to jumping and “板” is a board, so the word means a board used for jumping or boarding.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào跳tiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跳 pairs 足 (foot) with 兆, which supplies the sound; the foot part shows the action is done with the feet.

Open 跳 →

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn板bǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

板 pairs 木 (tree) with 反 as a sound part.

Open 板 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsMiscellaneous Objects

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