换挡 (huàn dǎng) — to shift gears (in a vehicle); (figurative) to change pace or switch strategy

Definition

Literally 'shift gears' in a car; used figuratively to mean changing pace or strategy. A concrete driving verb extended as a metaphor for a strategic pivot.

verb
to shift gears (in a vehicle)(figurative) to change pace or switch strategy

Examples

  • 换挡。
    Kāi chē de shí hou yào jì de jí shí huàn dǎng.
    When driving, remember to shift gears in time.
  • ，。
    Tā huàn le yí cì dǎng, chē jiù píng wěn duō le.
    After he shifted gears once, the car became much smoother.
  • 换挡，。
    Gōng sī xū yào huàn dǎng, cái néng shì yìng xīn shì chǎng.
    The company needs to change gears to adapt to the new market.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

换huànchange
挡dǎnggear

The action is to change a gear, joining 换 and 挡.

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 換; 换 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
奐
奐huàn換huàn
Same sound today

For the traditional form 換, 手 is the hand part and 奐 gives the sound; this note is about 換, not the simplified 换.

Open 换 →

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 擋; 挡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
當
當dāng擋dǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 擋 pairs 扌 (hand) with 當 as the sound part; this note is about 擋, not about the parts of 挡.

Open 挡 →

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