水轮 (shuǐ lún) — waterwheel | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

waterwheel

Measure word · 台

水轮。
Zhè ge shuǐ lún zhuàn dòng dé hěn màn.
This waterwheel turns very slowly.
。
Nóng mín yòng shuǐ lún cóng hé lǐ dǎ shuǐ.
Farmers use a waterwheel to draw water from the river.
水轮。
Nà ge gǔ lǎo de shuǐ lún hái zài gōng zuò.
That ancient waterwheel is still working.

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.

水 gives water and 轮 gives wheel, naming a wheel turned by water.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

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 輪; 轮 is its simplified writing.

車侖輪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

車車jūcarriage

Sound part声符shēngfú

侖

侖lún輪lún

Same sound today

The traditional form 輪 uses 車, a carriage, and 侖 for the sound; the simplified 轮 is a later shorthand.