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导线 (dǎo xiàn) — electrical lead; conducting wire

Definition

导线 (dǎo xiàn) is the technical term for a wire or conductor that carries electricity. In everyday speech, 电线 is more common; 导线 is preferred in engineering, physics, and technical writing.

noun
electrical leadconducting wire
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 导线。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè liǎng gēn dǎo xiàn lián jiē qǐ lái.
    Please connect these two wires.
  • 导线。
    Gāo yā dǎo xiàn bì xū dìng qī jiǎn chá.
    High-voltage wires must be inspected regularly.
  • 导线。
    Zhè gēn dǎo xiàn de dǎo diàn xìng néng hěn hǎo.
    This wire has good electrical conductivity.

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.

导dǎoconduct
线xiànwire

导 points to carrying or conducting, while 线 is a wire; together they name an electrical lead.

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 導; 导 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
道
道dào導
Same sound today

The traditional form 導 pairs 道 (path) as the sound part with 寸 (hand), giving the sense of leading someone. The simplified 导 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 导 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

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