Definitions

léi to pound (with a mortar and pestle); to hit (a person); to beat (a drum); to bang on (a door); (dialect) to scold
lèi (bound form) platform for a martial art contest; Taiwan pr. [léi]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "擂" is structured with the hand radical on the left and the phonetic component "雷" on the right, indicating its pronunciation and a semantic connection to vigorous manual actions akin to the reverberating force of thunder. Etymologically, it originated to denote physical acts of striking, pounding, or grinding, as evidenced in early textual references to drumbeats or the crushing of substances. While its core meaning of applying forceful impact has remained stable, its usage broadened over centuries to include metaphorical extensions, such as in the compound "擂台" which designates a competitive arena, thus shifting from purely physical descriptions to encompass conceptual spaces of contest without altering its fundamental composition or phonetic alignment.

Example Sentences Hide

他在用力鼓。

Tā zài yònglì léi gǔ.

He is beating the drum vigorously.

我们一起鼓吧。

Wǒmen yīqǐ léi gǔ ba.

Let's beat the drum together.

比赛前要鼓助威。

Bǐsài qián yào léi gǔ zhùwēi.

Before the competition, we need to beat the drum to boost morale.

他勇敢地登上台。

Tā yǒnggǎn de dēngshàng lèitái.

He bravely stepped onto the fighting platform.

鼓声响彻全场。

Léigǔ shēng xiàngchè quán chǎng.

The sound of drum beating resonated throughout the venue.

战士们奋力鼓进军。

Zhànshìmen fènlì léi gǔ jìnjūn.

The soldiers vigorously beat drums to advance.

这场台赛非常激烈。

Zhè chǎng lèitái sài fēicháng jīliè.

This擂台 competition is very intense.

鼓声响起时,运动员们开始冲刺。

Dāng léigǔ shēng xiǎngqǐ shí, yùndòngyuánmen kāishǐ chōngcì.

When the drum beating sound rang out, the athletes began to sprint.