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加速度 (jiā sù dù) — to accelerate, to increase speed

Definition

A physics term for 'acceleration' (rate of change of velocity), also used as a verb meaning 'to accelerate / speed up'. Common in scientific and technical contexts.

verb
to accelerateto increase speed

Examples

  • 加速度。
    Qì chē zài gāo sù gōng lù shàng jiā sù dù.
    The car is accelerating on the highway.
  • 加速度。
    Yùn dòng yuán zài zuì hòu yì bǎi mǐ kāi shǐ jiā sù dù.
    The athlete began to accelerate in the last 100 meters.
  • 加速度。
    Fēi jī qǐ fēi shí xū yào kuài sù jiā sù dù.
    The plane needs to accelerate quickly when taking off.

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.

加速increase speed
加jiāincrease速sùspeed
动宾Verb + object
度dùdegree

加速 means increase speed and 度 means degree, so the word names the degree of speed change.

Characters in this word

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

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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
辵辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
束
束shù速sù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

Open 速 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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