柴油机 (chái yóu jī) — diesel engine | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

diesel engine

Measure word · 台

Examples

柴油机。
Zhè liàng kǎ chē yòng de shì chái yóu jī.
This truck uses a diesel engine.
柴油机。
Zhè zhǒng chái yóu jī zào yīn bǐ jiào xiǎo.
This type of diesel engine is relatively quiet.
柴油机。
Lǎo shì chái yóu jī xū yào jīng cháng bǎo yǎng.
Old-style diesel engines need regular maintenance.

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.

柴油diesel fuel

柴cháifirewood油yóuoil

偏正Modifier + head

机jīengine

柴油 names diesel fuel, and 机 is the engine that uses it.

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.

此木柴

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

此

此cǐ柴chái

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

In 柴, the lower part 木 shows it is about wood, while the upper part 此 supplies the sound.

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

氵由油

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu油yóu

Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies the sound.

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

几jǐ机jī

Same sound today

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

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