(wán yì) - thing, gadget, plaything, contraption in Mandarin
wányìTraditional: 玩意
Translation
thing, gadget, plaything, contraption
Word origin
A compound of 玩 (wán, to play) and 意 (yì, idea, meaning), giving the colloquial sense of a plaything or odd little object, often written 玩意儿 with a retroflex ending.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 玩 (wán, to play) + 意 (yì, idea, meaning)
Stroke order
玩
意
Examples
？
What is this gadget used for?
。
He was holding a strange contraption in his hand.
。
The children really like this sort of new plaything.
。
The table was covered with all kinds of little knick-knacks.
。
This thing looks very expensive.
玩意 (wányì) is a colloquial word for a thing, gadget or plaything, often slightly dismissive. It is very common in spoken Mandarin, frequently with the 儿 suffix as 玩意儿.
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玩意: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "玩意" (thing, gadget, plaything, contraption): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 33.