HSK · Level 7
134 words
Chinese word
排
Pronunciation
Pinyinpái
Meaning
- measure wordrow
Example
门口有一排椅子。mén kǒu yǒu yì pái yǐ zi
There is a row of chairs at the entrance.
More examples
孩子们站成一排，等着上车。hái zi men zhàn chéng yì pái děng zhe shàng chē
The children stand in a row, waiting to get on.
Core concept
People or things are brought into an orderly line, or moved away when they do not belong.
Common phrases
一排椅子yì pái yǐ zi
one row of chairs
一排人yì pái rén
one row of people
两排树liǎng pái shù
two rows of trees
Similar words
列liè: A measure word for one long line of people or things.
行xíng: A measure word for a line of writing or a line of items on a shelf.
队duì: A measure word for a group of people or a team treated as one unit.
Definition in Chinese
把若干物品或人按顺序摆成一列；也作量词，表示一列事物；另可指清除、排除等动作。bǎ ruò gān wù pǐn huò rén àn shùn xù bǎi chéng yí liè yě zuò liàng cí biǎo shì yí liè shì wù lìng kě zhǐ qīng chú pái chú děng dòng zuò
Word origin
排 (pái, "to arrange in a row") combines 扌 (shǒu, "hand") + 非 (fēi, "not"); 扌 marks an action done by hand, while 非 mainly gives the pronunciation.
Usage tips
- English often chooses row for objects and line for people, but Chinese can use one measure word for either, so context matters more than a one-to-one English match.