电力局 (diàn lì jú) — electric power bureau; utility company responsi…

Definition

noun

electric power bureauutility company responsible for electricity supply and grid management

Measure word · 个

电力局。
diàn lì jú Fù zé zhěng gè chéng shì de gōng diàn.
The electric power bureau is responsible for the city's electricity supply.
电力局。
Tā qù diàn lì jú jiāo diàn fèi.
He went to the electric power bureau to pay the electricity bill.
电力局。
diàn lì jú De gōng zuò rén yuán zhèng zài qiǎng xiū xiàn lù.
The staff of the electric power bureau are urgently repairing the power lines.

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.

电力electric power

电diànelectricity力lìpower

偏正Modifier + head

电力 (electric power) is managed by a 局 (bureau), i.e. a power bureau.

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

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

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

句

Same sound today

The shape of 局 pairs 尸, a meaning part, with 句, a sound part.