可见光 (kě jiàn guāng) — visible light

Definition

Visible light — the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can see, as opposed to invisible bands like ultraviolet or infrared.

noun
visible light

Examples

  • 可见光，。
    Rén yǎn néng kàn dào kě jiàn guāng, dàn kàn bú dào zǐ wài xiàn.
    The human eye can see visible light, but not ultraviolet rays.
  • 可见光。
    kě jiàn guāng Shì diàn cí bō pǔ zhōng de yí bù fen.
    Visible light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
  • 可见光。
    Tài yáng fā chū de kě jiàn guāng zhào liàng le dì qiú.
    The visible light emitted by the sun illuminates the Earth.

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.

可见visible
可kěable见jiànsee
偏正Modifier + head
光guānglight

可见 means able to be seen, and 光 is light.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →

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