秒钟 (miǎo zhōng) — (classifier) second (unit of time) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Unit of time equal to one second (1/60 of a minute). Written in full, more formal than the shorthand 秒; both are used with numerals (三十秒钟 / 三十秒).

classifier

second (unit of time)

Examples

。
Qǐng děng dài sān shí miǎo zhōng.
Please wait thirty seconds.
。
Tā zhǐ yòng le yì miǎo zhōng jiù wán chéng le rèn wu.
He completed the task in just one second.
。
Zhè ge shí yàn xū yào jīng què dào líng diǎn yì miǎo zhōng.
This experiment needs precision to 0.1 seconds.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

秒 names the unit, and 钟 marks it as a unit of time.

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.

禾少秒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

禾禾hécereal; grain

Sound part声符shēngfú

少

少shǎo秒miǎo

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

The form 秒 pairs 禾, a cereal or grain plant, with 少 giving the sound.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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