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功率 (gōng lǜ) — power output, rate of work

Definition

功率 is the technical/physical 'power' — rate of doing work, measured in watts. 力量 is everyday 'strength/force'; 动力 is the motive force or motivation behind something.

noun
power outputrate of work

Examples

  • 功率。
    Zhè tái shuǐ bèng de gōng lǜ zú gòu dà.
    The power of this water pump is sufficient.
  • 功率。
    Wǒ men xū yào jì suàn zhè ge diàn jī de gōng lǜ.
    We need to calculate the power of this motor.
  • 功率。
    Fā diàn jī de gōng lǜ jué dìng le tā néng gōng yìng duō shǎo diàn.
    The power of the generator determines how much electricity it can supply.

Origin

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.

功gōngwork
率lǜrate

功 (work) and 率 (rate) combine to mean the rate at which work is done.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng功gōng
Same sound today

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

Open 功 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

率 was drawn as a bird-catching net, with a stick above and below. In the form described, the lower horizontal stroke is missing, so the whole shape represents a rope.

Open 率 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Physics & Chemistry

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