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酒宴 (jiǔ yàn) — feast; banquet

Definition

noun
feastbanquet
Measure word · 场

Examples

  • 酒宴。
    Zhè chǎng jiǔ yàn bàn dé fēi cháng lóng zhòng.
    This banquet was held very grandly.
  • 酒宴。
    Tā zhǔn bèi le yí dà zhuō jiǔ yàn zhāo dài kè rén.
    He prepared a large feast to entertain the guests.
  • 酒宴。
    Gōng sī zhōu nián qìng de jiǔ yàn zài wǔ xīng jí jiǔ diàn jǔ xíng.
    The company anniversary banquet was held at a five-star hotel.

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.

酒jiǔwine
宴yànbanquet

"酒" wine and "宴" banquet combine to mean a feast centered on drinking.

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
酉
酉yǒu酒jiǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酒 pairs 酉, the original picture for this word, with 水 (water), added later to distinguish it.

Open 酒 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
妟
妟yàn宴
Same sound today

宴 has 宀, a roof, above 妟, which shows a woman and the sun. 妟 also supplies the sound, and the whole shape pictures a woman under a roof with sunlight.

Open 宴 →
Appears in
Alcohol & TobaccoDining & Restaurants

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