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火线 (huǒ xiàn) — (military) battle line, firing line; (electrical) live wire

Definition

Literally 'fire line' — a battle/firing line in the military, and (in 电路 contexts) a live wire that is currently carrying current. Both senses are concrete nouns, not abstract metaphors.

noun
(military) battle linefiring line(electrical) live wire
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 火线。
    Shì bīng men yǒng gǎn dì chōng shàng le huǒ xiàn.
    The soldiers bravely charged onto the firing line.
  • 火线。
    Xiū lǐ diàn qì qián yí dìng yào xiān guān diào huǒ xiàn.
    Before repairing electrical appliances, be sure to disconnect the live wire first.
  • 火线，。
    Tā zài huǒ xiàn shàng shòu le shāng, bèi sòng huí le hòu fāng.
    He was wounded on the firing line and was sent back to the rear.

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.

火huǒfire
线xiànline

火 'fire' and 线 'line' make a line of fire or a live wire.

Characters in this word

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Energy & PowerMilitary & Defense

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