手提式 (shǒu tí shì) — portable; handheld

Definition

Handheld or portable in form/function (e.g. 手提式电脑, 手提式音箱). Refers to the physical design of a device that can be carried by hand, not merely 'lightweight'.

adjective
portablehandheld

Examples

  • 手提式。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì tái shǒu tí shì diàn nǎo.
    I bought a portable computer.
  • 手提式。
    Zhè ge shǒu tí shì yīn xiāng yīn zhì hěn hǎo.
    This portable speaker has great sound quality.
  • 。
    Tā dài zhe shǒu tí shì gōng jù xiāng chū mén le.
    He went out carrying a portable tool box.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

手提carry by hand
手shǒuhand提tícarry
偏正Modifier + head
式shìtype

The sense of carrying by hand, with 式 marking a type, gives 'portable'.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì提tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

提 shows 扌 (hand) beside 是, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 提 →

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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì式shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

式 pairs 工, meaning work, with 弋, which gives the sound.

Open 式 →

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