贺电 (hè diàn) — congratulatory telegram

Definition

A congratulatory message sent by telegram (电 = 电报 telegram). Use 贺信 when the message arrives as a written letter, not a telegram.

noun

congratulatory telegram

Measure word · 封

贺电。
Tā gěi zǒng tǒng fā le yì fēng hè diàn.
He sent a congratulatory telegram to the president.
贺电。
Dà shǐ guǎn shōu dào le gè guó fā lái de hè diàn.
The embassy received congratulatory telegrams from various countries.
，贺电。
Gōng sī chéng lì nà tiān, hè diàn xiàng xuě piàn yí yàng fēi lái.
On the day the company was founded, congratulatory telegrams came in like snowflakes.

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.

贺hècongratulate

贺 (congratulate) specifies the content of 电 (telegram).

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 賀; 贺 is its simplified writing.

加貝賀

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèishellfish money

Sound part声符shēngfú

加

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賀 pairs 貝 (shellfish money) with 加 as a sound part; the simplified 贺 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

申

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Appears in