警号 (jǐng hào) — warning signal

Definition

noun
warning signal
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 警号，。
    Tīng dào jǐng hào hòu, dà jiā lì kè chè lí le jiàn zhù wù.
    After hearing the warning signal, everyone immediately evacuated the building.
  • 警号。
    Zhè ge zhuāng zhì huì zài wēi xiǎn shí fā chū jǐng hào.
    This device will emit a warning signal when there is danger.
  • ，警号。
    Xiāo fáng yǎn xí zhōng, jǐng hào yì xiǎng wǒ men jiù kāi shǐ xíng dòng.
    During the fire drill, we started acting as soon as the warning signal sounded.

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.

警jǐngwarning
号hàosignal

警 means warning and 号 means signal, naming a warning signal or alarm.

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
言言yánspoken language, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
敬
敬jìng警
Same sound today

警 places 言 (speech) below 敬; 敬 gives the sound.

Open 警 →

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

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →

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