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摄像机 (shè xiàng jī) — video camera, camcorder

Definition

noun
video cameracamcorder
Measure word · 部

Examples

  • 摄像机。
    Tā yòng shè xiàng jī pāi le yí duàn hūn lǐ shì pín.
    He shot a wedding video with a camcorder.
  • 摄像机。
    Zhè tái shè xiàng jī de qīng xī dù fēi cháng gāo.
    The resolution of this video camera is very high.
  • 摄像机。
    Jì zhě káng zhe shè xiàng jī pǎo xiàng shì gù xiàn chǎng.
    The reporter ran toward the accident scene carrying a video camera.

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.

摄像capture images
摄shècapture像xiàngimage
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

摄像 means capture images, and 机 means machine, giving a machine for capturing images.

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 攝; 摄 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 攝 combines 扌 (hand) with 聶 as a sound part; the simplified 摄 is a later shorthand.

Open 摄 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
象
象xiàng像
Same sound today

像 uses 亻, the side form of 人 (person), with 象 giving the sound.

Open 像 →

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
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