急电 (jí diàn) — urgent telegram; urgent cable

Definition

noun
urgent telegramurgent cable
Measure word · 封

Examples

  • 急电。
    Gōng sī shōu dào yì fēng jí diàn.
    The company received an urgent telegram.
  • 急电。
    Tā lián yè fā le jí diàn tōng zhī zǒng bù.
    He sent an urgent telegram overnight to notify headquarters.
  • 急电。
    Zhè fēng jí diàn de nèi róng fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    The content of this urgent telegram is very important.

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.

急jíurgent
电diàntelegram

急 conveys urgency, and 电 is a telegram, giving an urgent telegram.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí急jí
Same sound today

急 pairs 心 (heart) with 及, which gives the sound.

Open 急 →

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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