电池 (diàn chí) — battery | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

battery

Measure word · 节, 组

电池。
Wǒ de shǒu jī diàn chí méi diàn le.
My phone battery is dead.
电池。
Tā mǎi le liǎng jié diàn chí.
He bought two batteries.
电池。
Zhè zǔ diàn chí kě yǐ yòng hěn jiǔ.
This set of batteries can last a long time.

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.

池chípool/cell

电 specifies electricity, and 池 is a pool or cell; together they name a battery.

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.

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

氵也池

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

也

也yě池chí

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

池 pairs 氵 (water) with 也, which provides the sound.

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