抽水机 (chōu shuǐ jī) — water pump | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

water pump

Measure word · 台

抽水机。
Tā men yòng chōu shuǐ jī bǎ shuǐ chōu dào tián lǐ.
They use a water pump to pump water into the fields.
抽水机，。
Zhè tái chōu shuǐ jī huài le, xū yào xiū lǐ.
This water pump is broken and needs repair.
抽水机。
chōu shuǐ jī Zài nóng cūn hěn cháng jiàn.
Water pumps are very common in the countryside.

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.

抽水draw water

动宾Verb + object

机jīmachine

The characters 抽, 水, and 机 describe a machine that draws water.

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.

扌由抽

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu抽chōu

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 is the hand form, written in full as 手, and the right part 由 provides the sound.

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木几机

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

几

Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.