电热 (diàn rè) — electric-heating, electrothermal (attributive)

Definition

电热 (diàn rè) is a technical/adjectival term meaning 'electric-heating' or 'electrothermal' — used as a modifier before nouns like 毯 (blanket) or 设备 (equipment) to describe things powered by electricity that produce heat.

adjective
electric-heatingelectrothermal (attributive)

Examples

  • ，。
    Dōng tiān de shí hou, wǒ jīng cháng yòng diàn rè tǎn qǔ nuǎn.
    In winter, I often use an electric blanket to keep warm.
  • 电热。
    Zhè ge diàn rè shuǐ hú shāo shuǐ hěn kuài.
    This electric kettle heats water very quickly.
  • 电热。
    Gōng chǎng lǐ ān zhuāng le xīn de diàn rè shè bèi.
    The factory installed new electrothermal equipment.

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diànelectricity
热rèheat

电 refers to electricity, and 热 gives heat, yielding an electric heating effect.

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 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →

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