空气锤 (kōng qì chuí) — pneumatic hammer, air hammer | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

pneumatic hammerair hammer

Measure word · 台

Examples

空气锤。
Gōng rén yòng kōng qì chuí bǎ dīng zi dīng jìn qiáng lǐ.
The worker used an air hammer to drive the nail into the wall.
空气锤，。
Zhè tái kōng qì chuí de zào yīn hěn dà, xū yào dài ěr sāi.
This pneumatic hammer is very noisy; you need to wear earplugs.
空气锤。
Xiū lǐ chǎng xīn mǎi le yì tái kōng qì chuí.
The repair shop bought a new air hammer.

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.

空气air

空kōngspace/empty气qìair/gas

联合Side by side

空气 (air) plus 锤 (hammer) gives a hammer driven by air.

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.

穴工空

Meaning part形符xíngfú

穴穴xuécave, hole

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng空kōng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

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 錘; 锤 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 锤 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 錘; in others it is 鎚.

金垂錘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

垂

垂chuí錘chuí

Same sound today

The traditional form 錘 pairs 金 (metal) with 垂, which gives its sound; the simplified 锤 is a later shorthand.

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