光标 (guāng biāo) — cursor (on a computer screen)

Definition

noun

cursor (on a computer screen)

光标。
Qǐng bǎ guāng biāo yí dào píng mù zuǒ shàng jiǎo.
Please move the cursor to the top-left corner of the screen.
，光标。
Zhè ge chéng xù qǐ dòng hòu, guāng biāo huì zì dòng biàn chéng shā lòu xíng zhuàng.
After this program starts, the cursor will automatically turn into an hourglass shape.
，光标。
Nǐ shuāng jī wén dàng zhōng de mǒu gè wèi zhì, guāng biāo jiù huì tiào dào nà lǐ.
If you double-click somewhere in the document, the cursor will jump there.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

光标 is a 标, mark, made of 光, light, naming a screen cursor.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 標; 标 is its simplified writing.

木票標

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

票

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 標 pairs 木 with 票, and 票 gives the sound; the simplified 标 is the modern form of that traditional character.