声波 (shēng bō) — sound wave (physics) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

sound wave (physics)

Examples

声波。
shēng bō Shì yì zhǒng jī xiè bō.
Sound wave is a type of mechanical wave.
声波。
Hěn duō dòng wù yòng shēng bō lái jiāo liú.
Many animals use sound waves to communicate.
声波。
Yī shēng yòng shēng bō jiǎn chá shēn tǐ.
Doctors use sound waves to examine the body.

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.

声 means sound and 波 means wave, together naming a wave of sound.

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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

殸耳聲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

耳耳ěrear

Sound part声符shēngfú

殸

殸qìng聲shēng

Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

氵皮波

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

皮

皮pí波bō

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 皮 gives the sound.

Appears in

Physics & Chemistry

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