乒乓球

• Pinyin: pīng pāng qiú
• Hanzi breakdown: 乒乓 = onomatopoeic characters mimicking the crack of ball on paddle; 球 = 王 + 求 (jade/precious + seek — a prized spherical object)

Meaning

Table tennis; ping-pong. The indoor racket sport played on a table divided by a net, using small paddles and a lightweight hollow ball.

China dominates international table tennis and it is considered the national sport by many. 乒乓外交 (Ping-Pong Diplomacy) refers to the 1971 US-China rapprochement facilitated by table tennis exchanges. The name 乒乓 is onomatopoeic, imitating the sharp sound of the ball.

Examples

1. 中国乒乓球队凭借扎实的基本功和高超的战术素养，在国际赛场上长期保持着无可撼动的霸主地位。 With solid fundamentals and superb tactical skill, China’s table tennis team has long maintained an unshakable dominance on the international stage.
2. 社区活动中心新增了六张乒乓球台，吸引了大批居民前来锻炼，极大地丰富了街区的体育文化生活。 The community activity center added six table tennis tables, drawing large numbers of residents to work out and greatly enriching the neighborhood’s sports culture.
3. 一九七一年的乒乓外交是现代国际关系史上以体育促进外交破冰的经典案例，至今仍被广泛研究引用。 Ping-pong diplomacy in 1971 is a classic case of using sports to break the ice in modern international relations, and it is still widely studied and cited today.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, history, culture, diplomacy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 乒乓球运动在中国有着极为广泛的群众基础，从城市社区到农村学校，随处可见孩子们挥拍对打的身影，是真正的全民运动。(Table tennis has an extremely broad popular base in China — from urban communities to rural schools, one can see children playing rallies with their paddles everywhere; it is a genuinely nationwide sport.)
• 乒乓外交这一历史事件生动说明了体育竞技在跨越政治壁垒、增进国家间相互理解方面所具有的独特外交价值。(The historical event of Ping-Pong Diplomacy vividly illustrates the unique diplomatic value that sporting competition holds for transcending political barriers and fostering mutual understanding between nations.)

Don't Say

• 乒乓球 refers to the sport and the ball — when referring specifically to the table use 乒乓球台 or 球桌, and for the paddle use 球拍 rather than leaving it ambiguous

Origin & History

乒乓 (onomatopoeia mimicking the sharp crack of the ball striking the paddle and table) + 球 (ball — 王 precious/jade + 求 seek — a prized round object)

Cultural Context

Era: 1971 Ping-Pong Diplomacy

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal