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红绿灯 (hóng-lǜ dēng) — traffic light

Definition

noun
traffic light
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 红绿灯，。
    Nà ge hóng-lǜ dēng biàn chéng lǜ sè le, wǒ men kě yǐ zǒu.
    The traffic light turned green; we can go.
  • 红绿灯。
    Sī jī kàn dào hóng-lǜ dēng hóng dēng jiù tíng xià le.
    The driver saw the red traffic light and stopped.
  • 红绿灯。
    Guò mǎ lù de shí hou yí dìng yào kàn hóng-lǜ dēng.
    Be sure to look at the traffic light when crossing the street.

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.

红绿red and green
红hóngred绿lǜgreen
联合Coordinate
灯dēnglight

红绿 covers red and green, and 灯 means light, together naming a traffic light.

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →

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 綠; 绿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù綠lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 綠 uses 糸 to show silk and 彔 for sound; the simplified 绿 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 绿 →

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
火火huǒ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng灯dēng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灯 pairs 火, which shows fire, with 丁, which gives the sound.

Open 灯 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3Roads & Traffic

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