对对子

對對子

duìduìzi

verb

Meanings

1 to compose an answering line of a couplet
2 to supply the matching phrase of a couplet

Characters

to match; to pair

couplet (here: the noun 对子)

Examples

古代文人喜欢对对子。

Gǔdài wénrén xǐhuan duìduìzi.

Ancient scholars enjoyed composing matching couplet lines.

老师出上联，让学生对对子。

Lǎoshī chū shànglián, ràng xuésheng duìduìzi.

The teacher gives the first line and asks students to compose the matching second line.

Tips

culture

对对子 is a classic Chinese literary game: one person gives the 上联 (shànglián, opening line) and another must produce a 下联 (xiàlián, response line) matching in length, tone pattern, and parallel grammar. It was a standard part of imperial-era schooling.

memory

Three characters that look almost identical: 对 (to match) + 对 (couplet) + 子 (suffix). The first 对 is the verb 'to match', the second is the noun 'couplet'.

Stroke Order

对 duì

子 zǐ