煤气站 (méi qì zhàn) — gas station (for household or industrial gas supply, e.g., natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas)

Definition

In Chinese, 煤气站 is a supply point for household 煤气 (cooking gas / LPG cylinders) — NOT a fuel station for cars. For a petrol station for vehicles, use 加油站.

noun
gas station (for household or industrial gas supply, e.g., natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 煤气站。
    Wǒ jiā fù jìn de méi qì zhàn kě yǐ huàn méi qì guàn.
    The gas station near my home can exchange gas canisters.
  • 煤气站。
    Zhè ge méi qì zhàn de méi qì jià gé bǐ qù nián zhǎng le bù shǎo.
    The gas price at this station has risen quite a bit compared to last year.
  • 煤气站，。
    Míng tiān méi qì zhàn yào jiǎn xiū, zàn tíng yíng yè yì tiān.
    The gas station will be closed for maintenance tomorrow for one day.

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coal gas
煤méicoal气qìgas
偏正Modifier + head
站zhànstation

煤 means coal, 气 means gas, and 站 means station: a station supplying coal-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.

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.

Open 煤 →

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.

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.

Open 气 →

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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn站zhàn
Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

Open 站 →

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