Chinese word

台球

Pronunciation

Pinyintái qiú

Meaning

nounbilliards

Example

他周末常和朋友去俱乐部打台球。tā zhōu mò cháng hé péng yǒu qù jù lè bù dǎ tái qiú

He often goes to the club to play billiards with his friends on weekends.

More examples

她参加了全市的台球比赛。tā cān jiā le quán shì de tái qiú bǐ sài

She took part in the citywide billiards competition.

Core concept

A table, cue, and carefully aimed balls form a game of angles, control, and pocketed shots.

Common phrases

打台球dǎ tái qiú
play billiards
台球桌tái qiú zhuō
billiards table
台球杆tái qiú gān
billiards cue

Similar words

撞球zhuàng qiú: A general term for a pocketed-ball sport played by striking balls with a cue.
美式台球měi shì tái qiú: A form of pool from the United States, usually played with wide pockets and quick tactics.
斯诺克sī nuò kè: A British table sport that requires precise positioning and uses many balls.

Definition in Chinese

在台面上用球杆击打球、按规则将球打进袋中的球类运动。zài tái miàn shàng yòng qiú gān jī dǎ qiú àn guī zé jiāng qiú dǎ jìn dài zhōng de qiú lèi yùn dòng

Word origin

The compound 台 (tái, "table or platform") + 球 (qiú, "ball") describes a sport centered on balls moving over a raised playing surface.

Usage tips

For everyday sports talk, Chinese often uses 打 (dǎ, "hit or play") rather than 玩 (wán, "play"), matching the physical action used in cue sports.

Related words

台球桌tái qiú zhuōbilliards tablenoun
台球杆tái qiú gānbilliards cuenoun