电子表 (diàn zǐ biǎo) — electronic watch, digital watch; electronic met…

Definition

noun

electronic watchdigital watchelectronic meter (e.g., electricity meter)

Measure word · 块

电子表。
Wǒ mǎi le yí gè xīn de diàn zǐ biǎo.
I bought a new electronic watch.
电子表，。
Zhè kuài diàn zǐ biǎo hěn zhǔn, cóng lái bú màn.
This electronic watch is very accurate; it's never slow.
电子表。
Diàn gōng yòng diàn zǐ biǎo cè liáng diàn yā.
The electrician uses an electronic meter to measure voltage.

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electronic

电diànelectric子zǐparticle

偏正Modifier + head

表biǎowatch or meter

电子 means electronic technology and 表 means a watch or meter; together they name an electronic watch.

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.

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

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.