激光 (jī guāng) — laser | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

laser

激光。
jī guāng Kě yǐ yòng lái qiē gē jīn shǔ.
Lasers can be used to cut metal.
激光。
jī guāng Dǎ yìn jī de zhì liàng hěn hǎo.
The quality of laser printers is very good.
激光。
Zhè zhǒng jī guāng fēi cháng qiáng.
This type of laser is very strong.

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.

激jīstimulate

The word combines 激, stimulate, with 光, light, giving the sense of stimulated light.

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.

氵敫激

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

敫

敫jiǎo激jī

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

In 激, the 氵 side marks water, and 敫 gives the sound jiǎo; the original sense is water swashing.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Appears in