彩票

• Pinyin: cǎi piào
• Hanzi breakdown: 彩 (colorful, prize) + 票 (ticket)

Meaning

Lottery ticket.

Refers to all forms of lottery tickets in China, including sports lottery and welfare lottery. Buying 彩票 is a popular form of gambling-adjacent entertainment in China.

Examples

1. 他每周都会花几十块钱买彩票。 He spends a few dozen yuan every week buying lottery tickets.
2. 中彩票大奖的概率非常低，几乎是不可能的。 The probability of winning the lottery jackpot is extremely low — almost impossible.
3. 彩票站门口总是排着长队。 There's always a long line in front of the lottery station.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, entertainment, gambling

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你买彩票了吗？(Did you buy a lottery ticket?)
• 听说有人中了彩票大奖。(I heard someone won the lottery jackpot.)

Don't Say

• 把买彩票当作赚钱的方式推荐给别人——中奖概率极低 (Don't recommend buying lottery tickets as a way to make money — the odds of winning are extremely low)

Origin & History

Compound of 彩 (colorful/prize) + 票 (ticket), meaning 'prize ticket.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal