灭火器 (miè huǒ qì) — fire extinguisher | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

fire extinguisher

Measure word · 个

Examples

灭火器。
Zǒu láng lǐ fàng zhe yí gè miè huǒ qì.
There is a fire extinguisher in the hallway.
灭火器。
Nǐ bì xū xué huì zěn me yòng miè huǒ qì.
You must learn how to use a fire extinguisher.
灭火器，。
Nà ge miè huǒ qì guò qī le, xū yào huàn xīn de.
That fire extinguisher has expired; it needs to be replaced.

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.

灭火extinguish fire

灭mièextinguish火huǒfire

动宾Verb + object

器qìdevice

灭火 and 器 combine: a device that extinguishes fire.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 滅; 灭 is its simplified writing.

氵烕滅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

烕

烕miè滅miè

Same sound today

The traditional form 滅 pairs 氵 (water) with 烕 as a sound part to mean extinguish by water; the simplified 灭 is a later shorthand.

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.

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Appears in

Safety & Danger

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