电梯 (diàn tī) — elevator | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

电 means 'electric' and 梯 means 'ladder/stairs', so 电梯 literally means 'electric ladder' — a standard, everyday word for elevator. It is a noun, not a verb: pair it with the measure word 台 or 部, and say 坐电梯 to mean 'take the elevator'.

noun

elevator

Measure word · 台, 部

Examples

电梯。
Wǒ men zuò diàn tī shàng lóu ba.
Let's take the elevator upstairs.
电梯，？
diàn tī Zài zuǒ biān, nǐ kàn dào le ma?
The elevator is on the left, do you see it?
电梯。
Zhè bù diàn tī néng zuò shí gè rén.
This elevator can hold ten people.

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

梯tīladder/stairs

电 electric modifies 梯 ladder/stairs, giving an electric staircase/elevator.

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木弟梯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood, tree

Sound part声符shēngfú

弟

弟dì梯tī

Same sound today

梯 puts 木 (wood/tree) beside 弟, which gives the sound, to write a wooden ladder.

Appears in

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