电子管 (diàn zǐ guǎn) — electron tube, vacuum tube, valve

Definition

A vacuum-sealed glass tube that controls electron flow, used as the core component in early radios, TVs, and amplifiers before transistors replaced it. Largely obsolete now except in high-end audio and some specialized equipment.

noun
electron tubevacuum tubevalve
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 电子管。
    Lǎo shì de shōu yīn jī lǐ yǒu hěn duō diàn zǐ guǎn.
    Old-fashioned radios have many vacuum tubes.
  • 电子管。
    Zhè zhǒng diàn zǐ guǎn xiàn zài yǐ jīng hěn shǎo yòng le.
    This type of electron tube is rarely used now.
  • 电子管。
    diàn zǐ guǎn Shì zǎo qī diàn zǐ shè bèi de hé xīn bù jiàn.
    Electron tubes were core components of early electronic devices.

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.

电子electron
电diànelectricity子zǐ
后缀Suffix
管guǎntube

电子 electron and 管 tube combine for an electron tube.

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 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
官
官guān管guǎn
Same sound today

管 has 竹 (bamboo) on top to show it relates to bamboo, and 官 gives its sound.

Open 管 →

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