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发动机 (fā dòng jī) — engine; motor (a machine that converts energy into mechanical motion)

Definition

noun
enginemotor (a machine that converts energy into mechanical motion)
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 发动机。
    Zhè liàng chē de fā dòng jī xìng néng fēi cháng hǎo.
    The engine of this car performs very well.
  • 发动机。
    Gōng rén zhèng zài jiǎn chá fēi jī de fā dòng jī.
    The workers are inspecting the airplane's engine.
  • 发动机。
    Tā huā le yì zhěng tiān xiū lǐ nà tái lǎo fā dòng jī.
    He spent a whole day fixing that old motor.

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.

发动
发fāstart动dòngmove
联合Coordinate
机jīmachine

发动 means to set motion, and 机 names a machine, so the word is a motion-making machine.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
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.

Open 动 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

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