追逐赛 (zhuī zhú sài) — pursuit race; chase

Definition

noun
pursuit racechase
Measure word · 场

Examples

  • 追逐赛。
    Zhè chǎng zhuī zhú sài fēi cháng jī liè.
    This pursuit race is very intense.
  • 追逐赛。
    Tā men cān jiā le zuó tiān de zhuī zhú sài.
    They participated in yesterday's pursuit race.
  • 追逐赛。
    zhuī zhú sài De guī zé hěn fù zá.
    The rules of the pursuit race are very complicated.

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.

追逐pursuit
追zhuīchase逐zhúpursue
联合Side by side

追逐, a chase, describes a 赛 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂤
𠂤𠂤追zhuī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 辶 part shows movement, while 𠂤 gives the sound, for the sense of moving after or pursuing.

Open 追 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 辵辵chuòwalking
  • 豕豕shǐpig

逐 joins 辵, shown as walking, with 豕, a pig, to picture someone chasing a pig.

Open 逐 →

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.

Open 赛 →

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