Traditional: 憑
píng HSK 5

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

他凭努力获得成功。
Tā píng nǔlì huòdé chénggōng.
He achieved success by relying on hard work.
请凭票进入电影院。
Qǐng píng piào jìnrù diànyǐngyuàn.
Please enter the cinema with your ticket.
她凭经验解决问题。
Tā píng jīngyàn jiějué wèntí.
She solves problems depending on experience.
我凭票入场。
Wǒ píng piào rùchǎng.
I enter by ticket.
他凭经验判断。
Tā píng jīngyàn pànduàn.
He judges based on experience.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 凭 as 'ping' (like a ping in technology that relies on a signal to work) – it represents relying on something as a basis. The character includes 任 (rèn), meaning 'to appoint,' which can remind you of using qualifications or evidence to justify an appointment or action.

📝 Usage Notes

凭 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese, often to express reliance on evidence, qualifications, or conditions. It's frequently seen in discussions about achievements, decisions, or permissions, such as in legal, academic, or everyday situations where justification is needed.

📖 Grammar Points

凭 is typically followed by a noun or noun phrase to form a prepositional phrase, such as 凭能力 (based on ability). It can also be used in structures like 凭什么 (píng shénme) meaning 'on what basis' or 'why,' often in rhetorical questions. In sentences, it often precedes the verb to indicate the means or reason.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, using 凭 can reflect values of self-reliance and meritocracy, as in the example about getting a job through one's own abilities. It's also common in expressions emphasizing fairness or justification, such as in disputes or evaluations.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 靠 (kào), which also means 'rely on' but is more casual and often implies physical or emotional dependence, 凭 emphasizes a logical or factual basis. 根据 (gēnjù) is similar to 凭 but is more formal and often used in written contexts to mean 'according to' a source or rule.

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