拍手器
pāishǒuqì
The English word "clapper" is translated into Chinese as 拍手器 (pāishǒuqì).
In modern Chinese, 拍手器 is most commonly used to refer to a hand-held percussion instrument (a clapper) rather than the internal component of a bell.
Meaning: the tongue of a bell (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 拍手器 is composed of 拍 (to clap/pat), 手 (hand) and 器 (device/instrument).
How do you pronounce it?
pāishǒuqì
Did you know?
- If you were looking for the 'clapper' inside a traditional bell, a Chinese speaker would likely use the word 舌 (tongue) instead of 拍手器.
- The word 拍 in 拍手器 can also mean 'to film' or 'to shoot' a movie, which is a common homonym in modern Chinese.
- Traditional Chinese bells were often designed to be struck from the outside with a mallet, making the internal clapper 舌 less common than in Western bells.
Example conversation
Wei and Zihan are inspecting an old bell in a museum.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，你看到拍手器了吗？Zǐhán, nǐ kàndào pāishǒuqì le ma?Zihan, do you see the clapper?
- 梓涵 Zihan它好像掉在底部了。Tā hǎoshì diàozài dǐbù le.It seems to have fallen to the bottom.
- 伟 Wei这样就不能敲响了。Zhèyàng jiù bùnéng qiāoxiǎng le.Then we cannot ring it.
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，得把拍手器装回去。Shì de, děi bǎ pāishǒuqì zhuāng huíqù.Yes, we need to put the clapper back in.
