TongTong
Sign in

复印机 (fù yìn jī) — photocopier, copying machine

Definition

noun
photocopiercopying machine
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 复印机。
    Qǐng yòng fù yìn jī fù yìn zhè fèn wén jiàn.
    Please use the copier to copy this document.
  • 复印机。
    Bàn gōng shì de fù yìn jī huài le.
    The office copier is broken.
  • 复印机。
    Wǒ yòng fù yìn jī fù yìn le shí zhāng zhǐ.
    I used the copier to copy ten sheets of paper.

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.

复印copy
复fùduplicate印yìnprint
偏正Modifier + head
机jīmachine

复 means duplicate, 印 means print, and 机 means machine, naming a machine that duplicates printed material.

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 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chìwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù復fù
Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

Open 复 →

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎhand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

Open 印 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.