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打印机 (dǎ yìn jī) — printer

Definition

A printer is a kind of 机器 (machine) used specifically to put documents or images onto paper. Counted with the measure word 台.

noun
printer
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 打印机。
    Wǒ men bàn gōng shì yǒu yì tái dǎ yìn jī.
    There is a printer in our office.
  • 打印机。
    Qǐng yòng zhè tái dǎ yìn jī dǎ yìn wén jiàn.
    Please use this printer to print the document.
  • 打印机，。
    dǎ yìn jī Huài le, wǒ xū yào mǎi yì tái xīn de.
    The printer is broken; I need to buy a new one.

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.

打印print
打dǎmake印yìnprint
联合Coordinate
机jīmachine

打印 contributes printing and 机 contributes machine, so 打印机 is a printer.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

Open 打 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 4Computers & Internet

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.