核电厂 (hé diàn chǎng) — nuclear power plant

Definition

noun
nuclear power plant
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 核电厂2010。
    Zhè zuò hé diàn chǎng jiàn yú 2010 nián.
    This nuclear power plant was built in 2010.
  • 核电厂。
    hé diàn chǎng Wèi chéng shì tí gōng le dà liàng diàn lì.
    The nuclear power plant provides a large amount of electricity for the city.
  • 核电厂。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài tǎo lùn shì fǒu yào xīn jiàn yí zuò hé diàn chǎng.
    The government is discussing whether to build a new nuclear power plant.

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.

核hénuclear
电厂power plant
电diànelectricity厂chǎngplant
偏正Modifier + head

核 means nuclear, 电 means electricity, and 厂 means plant; a plant that produces electricity from nuclear power.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài核hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Open 核 →

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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 廠; 厂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
敞
敞chǎng廠chǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 廠 combines 广 with 敞, which gives the sound; the simplified 厂 is a later shorthand.

Open 厂 →

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