核能 (hé néng) — nuclear energy | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Energy released from splitting or fusing atomic nuclei. Compared with 能源 (any energy source like coal or solar), 核能 is specifically nuclear and is the power source behind a 核电站.

noun

nuclear energy

Examples

核能。
hé néng Fā diàn bú huì chǎn shēng èr yǎng huà tàn.
Nuclear energy power generation does not produce carbon dioxide.
核能。
Yǒu xiē guó jiā bǎ hé néng yòng yú jūn shì mù dì.
Some countries use nuclear energy for military purposes.
核能。
Rén men duì hé néng de ān quán xìng yì zhí cún zài zhēng yì.
People have always had controversies about the safety of nuclear energy.

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

核 (nuclear) specifies the source of 能 (energy).

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.

木亥核

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

亥

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.

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

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Energy & Power

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