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电信号 (diàn xìn hào) — electrical signal

Definition

noun
electrical signal

Examples

  • 电信号。
    Zhè ge jī qì néng shōu dào wēi ruò de diàn xìn hào.
    This machine can receive weak electrical signals.
  • ，电信号。
    Zài shí yàn shì lǐ, wǒ men cè liáng le diàn xìn hào de biàn huà.
    In the lab, we measured the changes in electrical signals.
  • 电信号。
    Shǒu jī tōng guò diàn xìn hào lái chuán dì xìn xī.
    The phone transmits information through electrical signals.

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.

电diànelectric
信号signal
信xìninformation号hàomark/signal
偏正Modifier + head

电 carries electricity, 信 carries information, and 号 marks it, so the whole names an electrical signal.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

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