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电气 (diàn qì) — (technical noun) electrical power; the field of electrical engineering or electricity

Definition

A technical term referring to electricity as a field or to electrical power systems, used in compound words like 电气设备 and 电气工程. More formal and field-specific than the everyday 电.

noun
(technical noun) electrical powerthe field of electrical engineering or electricity

Examples

  • 电气。
    Zhè ge gōng chǎng de diàn qì shè bèi hěn xiān jìn.
    The electrical equipment in this factory is very advanced.
  • 电气。
    Tā shì yán jiū diàn qì gōng chéng de zhuān jiā.
    He is an expert in electrical engineering.
  • ，。
    Suí zhe diàn qì huà de fā zhǎn, wǒ men de shēng huó yuè lái yuè fāng biàn.
    With the development of electrification, our lives become more and more convenient.

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
气qìenergy

电 gives the 'electric' sense, while 气 names the energy or power, together yielding electricity.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →
Appears in
Energy & Power

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