扩音机 (kuò yīn jī) — audio amplifier, public-address amplifier

Definition

noun
audio amplifierpublic-address amplifier
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 扩音机。
    Jī fáng lǐ yǒu yì tái kuò yīn jī.
    There is an audio amplifier in the equipment room.
  • 扩音机。
    Yòng zhè ge kuò yīn jī kě yǐ fàng yīn yuè.
    You can play music through this amplifier.
  • 扩音机。
    Lǎo shī tōng guò kuò yīn jī jiǎng huà.
    The teacher speaks through the amplifier.

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.

扩音amplify sound
扩kuòexpand音yīnsound
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

扩音 means expanding sound, and 机 is a machine; together they name a sound-amplifying machine.

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 擴; 扩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
廣
廣guǎng擴kuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 擴 combines 扌 (hand) and 廣 (guǎng) to show stretching or enlarging with hands. The simplified 扩 is not the form described here.

Open 扩 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Open 音 →

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 →

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