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话筒 (huà tǒng) — microphone (for speaking, singing, or recording); telephone handset, receiver

Definition

话筒 means 'microphone' or 'telephone handset/receiver' (literally 'speech tube'). Both senses are common. Synonym 麦克风 is a loanword for 'microphone' only.

noun
microphone (for speaking, singing, or recording)telephone handsetreceiver
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 话筒，。
    Qǐng nǐ duì zhe huà tǒng shuō huà, dà jiā cái néng tīng jiàn.
    Please speak into the microphone so everyone can hear.
  • ，话筒。
    Diàn huà xiǎng le, tā ná qǐ huà tǒng jiē tīng.
    The phone rang; she picked up the handset to answer.
  • 话筒，。
    Zhè ge huà tǒng de yīn zhì hěn hǎo, shì hé chàng gē.
    The sound quality of this microphone is good, suitable for singing.

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.

话huàspeech
筒tǒngtube

话筒 is a 筒 for 话, used as a microphone or telephone handset.

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →

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
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
同
同tóng筒tǒng
Same sound today

The bamboo part 竹 marks 筒 as a bamboo tube, and 同 gives its sound.

Open 筒 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6MusicPhones & Telecom

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