票

• Pinyin: piào
• Hanzi breakdown: 票 = 西 (west, top component) + 示 (show, bottom component)

Meaning

Ticket. A general term for any kind of ticket, coupon, or pass.

Used for all types of tickets including transport tickets, movie tickets, entrance tickets, and more. Often combined with a modifier to specify the type, such as 电影票 (movie ticket), 飞机票 (plane ticket), or 火车票 (train ticket).

Examples

1. 你买票了吗？ Have you bought the ticket?
2. 两张电影票多少钱？ How much are two movie tickets?
3. 我忘了带票。 I forgot to bring the ticket.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, entertainment

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请给我两张票。(Please give me two tickets.)
• 火车票很便宜。(The train ticket is very cheap.)

Don't Say

• 我要一个票。(Wrong measure word — use 张 for tickets: 我要一张票)

Origin & History

The character originally referred to a slip of paper or document. It combines 西 on top and 示 on the bottom, evolving to mean tickets and passes in modern usage.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal