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发电厂 (fā diàn chǎng) — power plant, power station

Definition

noun
power plantpower station
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 发电厂。
    Zhè ge fā diàn chǎng měi tiān shēng chǎn hěn duō diàn.
    This power plant produces a lot of electricity every day.
  • 发电厂。
    Tā zài yí zuò fā diàn chǎng gōng zuò.
    He works at a power plant.
  • 发电厂。
    Zhè ge fā diàn chǎng shì qù nián jiàn chéng de.
    This power plant was completed last year.

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.

发电generate electricity
发fāgenerate电diànelectricity
动宾Verb + object
厂chǎngplant

发电 means generate electricity, and 厂 is a plant, so 发电厂 is a power plant.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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 廠; 厂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
敞
敞chǎng廠chǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 廠 combines 广 with 敞, which gives the sound; the simplified 厂 is a later shorthand.

Open 厂 →
Appears in
Buildings & StructuresEnergy & Power

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