TongTong
Sign in

相机 (xiàng jī) — camera

Definition

相机 means a camera (the device, counted with 台). Don't confuse it with 时机 ('opportune moment') — same jī sound, totally different meaning.

noun
camera
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 相机。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì tái xīn xiàng jī.
    I bought a new camera.
  • 相机。
    Yòng zhè ge xiàng jī pāi de zhào piàn hěn qīng chǔ.
    The photos taken with this camera are very clear.
  • 相机。
    Lǚ xíng de shí hou bié wàng le dài xiàng jī.
    Don't forget to bring a camera when traveling.

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.

相xiāngphoto
机jīmachine

「相」 (photo) and 「机」 (machine) combine to name a machine for taking photos.

Characters in this word

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3Photography & Design5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.