摩擦力 (mó cā lì) — friction (force) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

friction (force)

摩擦力，。
mó cā lì Yuè dà, wù tǐ yuè nán yí dòng.
The greater the friction, the harder it is to move an object.
摩擦力。
Bīng miàn shàng de mó cā lì hěn xiǎo.
Friction on an icy surface is very small.
摩擦力。
Gōng chéng shī xū yào jì suàn mó cā lì de dà xiǎo.
Engineers need to calculate the magnitude of friction.

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.

摩擦rubbing

联合Side by side

摩擦 means rubbing, and 力 is force, yielding the force produced by rubbing.

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.

麻手摩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

麻

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

摩 combines 手 (hand) with 麻; the hand part relates to the meaning, and 麻 gives the sound.

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

扌察擦

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

察

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 is the hand, showing that 擦 is an action done with the hand, such as wiping or scrubbing; the right part 察 gives the sound.

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

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.