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警报器 (jǐng bào qì) — siren (loud warning device); alarm (warning device)

Definition

noun
siren (loud warning device)alarm (warning device)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 警报器。
    Nà liàng jǐng chē de jǐng bào qì xiǎng le.
    That police car's siren went off.
  • 警报器。
    Dà lóu lǐ de jǐng bào qì tū rán xiǎng le qǐ lái.
    The alarm in the building suddenly went off.
  • 警报器。
    Tā mǎi le yí gè xīn de jǐng bào qì ān zhuāng zài mén kǒu.
    He bought a new alarm and installed it at the door.

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.

警报alarm
警jǐngalert报bàoreport
偏正Modifier + head
器qìdevice

“警报” (warning report) specifies the kind of “器” (device), giving an alarm device.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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
Safety & Danger

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