卡片
kǎpiàn
The English word 'card' can be translated into Chinese as 卡片 (kǎpiàn). If unsure, use 卡片. Wiktionary also lists 卡 (kǎ).
Meaning: flat, normally rectangular piece of stiff paper, plastic etc. (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 卡 | kǎ |
| 卡片 | kǎpiàn |
The term refers to a flat, normally rectangular piece of stiff paper or plastic. While 卡片 refers to a generic card, the shorter form 卡 is frequently used as a component in many compound nouns for specific functional cards, such as student cards or credit cards.
What does it mean word for word?
卡片 (kǎpiàn) is a compound word where 卡 (kǎ) is a phonetic loan from the English word 'card' and 片 (piàn) means 'piece' or 'slice'.
Which one should you use?
In contrast, the single syllable 卡 is more commonly used as a part of specific functional terms, such as 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ) for credit card.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the variation 咭 is used for 'card'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting cards, use the classifier 张 (zhāng) to indicate a flat, thin object.
How do you pronounce it?
kǎpiàn
Did you know?
- Because 卡 was originally used to mean 'stuck' or 'blocked', it is used in modern slang to describe a computer program that has frozen or lagged.
- The single character 卡 is a phonetic workhorse in Chinese, used to transcribe the sounds of 'calorie', 'car', 'cassette', 'khaki' and 'carat'.
Examples in context
- 帶上你的學生卡。Bring your student ID card.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 卡 in the context of a student ID card.Tatoeba #5451949 by xjjAstrus, translation #5573336 by n1ls
- 桌子上有一张卡片。There is a card on the desk.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use 卡 with a classifier for a physical card.Tatoeba #14023313 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #20563 by CM
- 我把我的饭卡弄丢了。I lost my meal card.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 卡 in the context of a meal card.Tatoeba #1759609 by sadhen, translation #7772318 by sharris123
- 请给我你的名片Please give me your business card.
- 你有名片吗?Do you have a business card?
- 请使用信用卡支付Please use a credit card for payment.
- 我有一张会员卡I have a membership card.
- 帮我一下，这卡儿刷不了Help me out, this card cannot be swiped.
- 我忘记带我的信用卡I forgot to bring my credit card.
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
志强和雨婷在准备派对的装饰。
- 志强 Zhiqiang雨婷，你看到那张彩色卡片了吗？Yǔtíng, nǐ kàndào nà zhāng cǎisè kǎpiàn le ma?Yuting, did you see that colored card?
- 雨婷 Yuting我在桌子下面找到了这张卡片。Wǒ zài zhuōzi xiàmiàn zhǎodàole zhè zhāng kǎpiàn.I found this card under the table.
- 志强 Zhiqiang太好了，谢谢你。Tài hǎole, xièxiè nǐ.Great, thank you.
- 雨婷 Yuting不客气，我们要用它做什么？Bù kèqì, wǒmen yào yòng tā zuò shénme?You're welcome, what are we going to use it for?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “card” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 卡, 卡片, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
