乒乓球
pīngpāngqiú
In Chinese, the term for ping pong is 乒乓球 (pīngpāngqiú).
The term 乒乓球 refers to both the sport of table tennis and the ball itself.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the onomatopoeic 乒乓 (ping pong) and 球 (ball), which literally translates to "ping pong ball".
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "to play ping pong", you add the verb 打 (dǎ, to hit) before the noun, forming the phrase 打乒乓球.
How do you pronounce it?
pīngpāngqiú
Did you know?
- The phrase 乒乓外交 refers to 'Ping Pong Diplomacy', a 1971 event where a table tennis match paved the way for the first US visit to China in decades.
- In China, 乒乓球 is widely considered the 'national ball game' and is played in almost every school and workplace, far exceeding the popularity of football or basketball.
- The word 乒 and 乓 are a perfect linguistic pair where one represents a higher pitch and the other a lower pitch of the same bouncing sound.
Examples in context
- 我们队是这次乒乓球比赛得标的热门队。Our team is seeded in the ping-pong competition.This sentence is useful for discussing a 乒乓球 competition.Tatoeba #1583538 by trieuho, translation #1583539 by trieuho
- 你会打乒乓球吗？Do you know how to play ping pong?
- 我喜欢在周末和朋友们一起打乒乓球。I enjoy playing ping pong with friends on weekends.
- 我也喜欢打乒乓球。Wǒ yě xǐhuān dǎ pīngpāngqiú.I also like playing ping pong.
- 他在买乒乓球拍。Tā zài mǎi pīngpāngqiú pāi.He is buying a ping pong paddle.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing hobbies at a cafe.
- 浩然 Haoran你平时喜欢做什么运动？Nǐ píngshí xǐhuān zuò shénme yùndòng?What sports do you usually like to do?
- 梓涵 Zihan我最喜欢打乒乓球。Wǒ zuì xǐhuān dǎ pīngpāngqiú.I like playing ping pong the most.
- 浩然 Haoran那下次我们一起去吧。Nà xià cì wǒmen yīqǐ qù ba.Then let's go together next time.
- 梓涵 Zihan好啊，没问题。Hǎo a, méi wèntí.Okay, no problem.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
