恒定 (héng dìng) — constant, steady, fixed

Definition

A formal, technical word for 'constant, steady' — describes values (temperature, speed, pressure) that stay fixed. Stronger and more technical than the everyday 稳定 ('stable').

verb
constantsteadyfixed

Examples

  • 恒定。
    Zhè zhǒng huà xué wù zhì zài héng dìng wēn dù xià zuì wěn dìng.
    This chemical substance is most stable at a constant temperature.
  • 恒定。
    Fēi jī yǐ héng dìng de sù dù fēi xíng.
    The airplane flies at a constant speed.
  • 恒定，。
    Tā de shēng huó yì zhí bǎo chí héng dìng, méi yǒu tài dà biàn huà.
    His life has always remained constant without much change.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

恒hénglasting
定dìngfixed

恒 means lasting and 定 means fixed, together giving a constant or steady state.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 恆; 恒 is its simplified writing.

  • 心心xīnheart
  • 亙亙gènpartial moon

The traditional form 恆 pairs 心, a heart, with 亙, a partial moon, which provides the sound; 恒 is a later simplified shape.

Open 恒 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

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