半自动 (bàn zì dòng) — semiautomatic | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

adjective

semiautomatic

半自动。
Zhè bǎ bàn zì dòng shǒu qiāng xìng néng hěn hǎo.
This semiautomatic pistol has very good performance.
半自动。
Hěn duō xīn xíng qì chē dōu cǎi yòng bàn zì dòng biàn sù qì.
Many new cars use a semiautomatic transmission.
半自动。
Zhè ge gōng chǎng de shēng chǎn xiàn shì bàn zì dòng de.
This factory's production line is semiautomatic.

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.

自动self-moving

偏正Modifier + head

半 (half) plus 自动 (self-moving) means partly automatic.

Characters in this word

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

The shape pairs 八 (to divide) with 牛 (cow), showing a cow cut into two halves.

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

重力動

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìstrength

Sound part声符shēngfú

重

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

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

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