照明灯 (zhào míng dēng) — light, lamp (general lighting device); headlamp (mounted on a vehicle or helmet)

Definition

noun
lightlamp (general lighting device)headlamp (mounted on a vehicle or helmet)
Measure word · 盏

Examples

  • 照明灯,。
    Zhè ge zhào míng dēng tài liàng le, yǒu diǎn cì yǎn.
    This light is too bright, a bit dazzling.
  • 照明灯,。
    Chē qián de zhào míng dēng huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè xīn de.
    The headlamp in front of the car is broken and needs to be replaced.
  • ,照明灯。
    Dēng shān shí, tā dài zhe tóu shàng de zhào míng dēng zǒu zài qián miàn.
    When climbing, he walked ahead wearing his headlamp.

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.

照明illuminate brightly
照zhàolight明míngbright
补充Verb + complement

照 means light, 明 means bright, and 灯 is a lamp; a 照明灯 lights brightly.

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
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
昭
昭zhāo照zhào
Same sound today

照 uses 灬, a bottom form of 火 (fire), plus 昭 for the sound.

Open 照 →

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

明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), showing the sun just rising while the moon has not yet set, or two bright objects in the sky, to express brightness.

Open 明 →

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
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.

Open 灯 →

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