Definition
加码 is a separable verb (离合词) that literally means 'to add a fixed amount' and has two main uses: in commerce it means 'to raise the price of something (often unreasonably)', and in gambling or figurative contexts it means 'to raise the stakes, increase the level or effort'. As a separable verb, the character 码 can separate from 加 when inserting aspect markers (了, 过) or measure words: e.g. 加了一次码 ('raised the stakes once'). Be careful with the commercial sense — it often carries a negative overtone of overcharging.
v.o.
(v.o.) to raise the price of a commodityto overcharge(v.o.) to raise the stakes (in gambling)to increase the level or amount (in a figurative sense)
Examples
- ，加码。Chūnjié qián, xǔduō shāngjiā qiāoqiāo bǎ shāngpǐn jiā mǎ.Before the Spring Festival, many businesses quietly raised the prices of their goods.
- 加码，。Dǔ jú zhōng tā bùduàn jiā mǎ, zuìhòu shū guāng le suǒyǒu qián.In the gambling game he kept raising the stakes and lost all his money in the end.
- ，。Zhège fāng'àn wǒmen jiā le sān cì mǎ, tóurù gèng duō zīyuán.We raised the bar three times for this plan, investing more resources.
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