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变速器 (biàn sù qì) — gearbox; transmission

Definition

noun
gearboxtransmission
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 变速器。
    Zhè liàng qì chē de biàn sù qì huài le.
    This car's gearbox is broken.
  • 变速器。
    Tā zhèng zài jiǎn chá biàn sù qì.
    He is checking the gearbox.
  • 变速器。
    Zì dòng biàn sù qì bǐ shǒu dòng de gèng fāng biàn.
    Automatic transmission is more convenient than manual.

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.

变速change speed
变biànchange速sùspeed
动宾Verb + object
器qìdevice

“变” means change, “速” means speed, and “器” means device, yielding a device that changes speed.

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.

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 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →
Appears in
Vehicles

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