变电站 (biàn diàn zhàn) — substation (electrical transformer station)

Definition

noun
substation (electrical transformer station)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 变电站。
    Zhè ge chéng shì xīn jiàn le yí gè biàn diàn zhàn.
    This city has built a new substation.
  • 变电站。
    Zhè ge biàn diàn zhàn wèi fù jìn de gōng chǎng gōng diàn.
    This substation supplies power to nearby factories.
  • 变电站。
    Wǒ men xū yào yí gè gèng ān quán de biàn diàn zhàn.
    We need a safer substation.

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.

变电transform electricity
变biànchange电diànelectricity
动宾Verb + object
站zhànstation

变电 covers transforming electricity, and 站 is the place where that happens.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 變; 变 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌變biàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 變 uses 䜌 as a sound part and 攴 as a meaning part.

Open 变 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn站zhàn
Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

Open 站 →

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