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颁奖 (bān jiǎng) — to award, to present an award (especially at a ceremony)

Definition

颁奖 is used at a formal ceremony when an official or organization gives out a prize. Contrast with 授予 (more formal, for honors/degrees) and 奖 (also a noun 'prize').

verb
to awardto present an award (especially at a ceremony)

Examples

  • 颁奖。
    Xiào zhǎng gěi yōu xiù xué shēng bān jiǎng.
    The principal awarded the outstanding students.
  • 。
    Tā men gěi tā bān le yí gè dà jiǎng.
    They gave her a big award.
  • 颁奖？
    Zhè cì bān jiǎng huó dòng shén me shí hou kāi shǐ?
    When does this award ceremony start?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

颁bānconfer
奖jiǎngaward

The first part means confer, and the second means award; together they describe presenting a prize at a ceremony.

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 頒; 颁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn頒bān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頒 puts 頁 (head) beside 分, which gives the sound; the simplified 颁 is a shorthand.

Open 颁 →

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 獎; 奖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
將
將jiāng獎jiǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 獎 pairs 將 as a sound part with 犬, a dog; the simplified 奖 is a later shorthand. The evidence says the dog part's meaning is unclear, perhaps referring to guiding a dog by voice.

Open 奖 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Success & Failure

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