煤气灯 (méi qì dēng) — gas lamp, gas light | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

gas lampgas light

Measure word · 盏

Examples

煤气灯。
Zhè tiáo jiē shàng réng rán bǎo liú zhe jǐ zhǎn méi qì dēng.
This street still retains a few gas lamps.
煤气灯，。
Tā diǎn rán le méi qì dēng, fáng jiān lǐ dùn shí liàng tang qǐ lái.
He lit the gas lamp, and the room immediately brightened up.
煤气灯。
Xiàn dài chéng shì lǐ méi qì dēng yǐ jīng hěn shǎo jiàn le.
Gas lamps are rarely seen in modern cities.

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.

煤气gas

煤méicoal气qìgas

偏正Modifier + head

煤气 (gas) and 灯 (lamp) make a lamp that burns gas.

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.

火某煤

Meaning part形符xíngfú

火火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

某

某mǒu煤méi

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

煤 puts 火 (fire) on the left and 某 on the right; the fire part relates to coal, and 某 gives the sound.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

火丁灯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng灯dēng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灯 pairs 火, which shows fire, with 丁, which gives the sound.

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