法拉 (Fǎ lā) — (classifier) farad (unit of electrical capacitance)

Definition

Standard Chinese unit name for the farad (symbol F), used in physics and electronics to measure electrical capacitance. Always paired with a number (e.g. 一法拉).

classifier
farad (unit of electrical capacitance)

Examples

  • 法拉。
    Zhè ge diàn róng qì de róng liàng shì shí Fǎ lā.
    The capacitance of this capacitor is ten farads.
  • 法拉。
    Diàn lù shang xū yào yí gè yì Fǎ lā de diàn róng.
    The circuit needs a one-farad capacitor.
  • 法拉。
    Fǎ lā Shì diàn róng de jī běn dān wèi.
    The farad is the basic unit of capacitance.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
音译yīnyìTransliteration

The characters spell the sound of a foreign word; their individual meanings play no part.

法fǎ
拉lā

The characters 法 and 拉 only spell the foreign unit and carry no meaning on their own here.

Sound-only characters

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé法fǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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