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离合器 (lí hé qì) — clutch (in a vehicle or machine)

Definition

noun
clutch (in a vehicle or machine)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 离合器，。
    Zhè liàng chē de lí hé qì huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè xīn de.
    The clutch of this car is broken; it needs to be replaced with a new one.
  • 离合器。
    Cǎi lí hé qì de shí hou dòng zuò yào kuài yì diǎn.
    When stepping on the clutch, the movement should be a bit quicker.
  • 离合器。
    Tā xiū lí hé qì huā le yì zhěng tiān de shí jiān.
    He spent a whole day repairing the clutch.

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.

离合separate and join
离líseparate合héjoin
联合Coordinate
器qìdevice

离合, separate and join, combines with 器, device, for a clutch.

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 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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

合 shows 亼 and 口 arranged as two mouths speaking together.

Open 合 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →
Appears in
Technology & EngineeringVehicles

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