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短路 (duǎn lù) — (of an electrical circuit) short circuit; (figurative) shortcut (in a process or method); (slang) to waylay, to hold up

Definition

A literal short circuit in an electrical circuit; extended to mean a 'shortcut' (cutting corners in work) or, in slang, to waylay or hold up a person. The verb phrase is separable: 短路 / 走了个短路 / 短路了路人.

verb
(of an electrical circuit) short circuit(figurative) shortcut (in a process or method)(slang) to waylayto hold up

Examples

  • ，。
    Zhè ge diàn lù duǎn guò yí cì lù, xū yào jiǎn chá.
    This circuit had a short circuit once; it needs to be checked.
  • 短路，。
    Zuò shì bú yào zǒng xiǎng zǒu duǎn lù, yào jiǎo tà shí dì.
    Don't always try to take shortcuts in work; be down-to-earth.
  • 短路。
    Tā men zài piān pì de dì fāng duǎn lù le lù rén.
    They waylaid passersby in a remote place.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

短duǎnshort
路lùpath/circuit

短路 pictures a 路 becoming 短, hence a shorted circuit or shortcut.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
矢矢shǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu短duǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

短 is built from 矢 and 豆. 豆 is used for its sound, while 矢 is the component linked to the meaning.

Open 短 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
Energy & Power

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