对弈

對弈

duìyì

verb HSK 7 #40,361

Meanings

1 to play chess (against an opponent)
2 to play a board game against each other

Characters

against; facing

chess; board game

弈 is an ancient character for board games, with 廾 (two hands) at the bottom — two people playing against each other.

Examples

两位高手正在对弈。

Liǎng wèi gāoshǒu zhèngzài duìyì.

Two masters are playing chess against each other.

他们在公园里对弈围棋。

Tāmen zài gōngyuán lǐ duìyì wéiqí.

They are playing Go against each other in the park.

Tips

register

对弈 is literary and elegant — used in writing or formal contexts. In casual speech, people just say 下棋 (xiàqí, to play chess). 对弈 evokes the refined image of two scholars playing Go.

Stroke Order

对 duì

弈 yì