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起重机 (qǐ zhòng jī) — crane (lifting machine); hoist; derrick

Definition

noun
crane (lifting machine)hoistderrick
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 起重机。
    Gōng dì shàng yǒu yì tái hěn dà de qǐ zhòng jī.
    There is a very large crane at the construction site.
  • 起重机。
    Gōng rén men yòng qǐ zhòng jī bǎ xiāng zi diào qǐ lái.
    Workers use the crane to lift up the boxes.
  • 。
    Zhè jià qǐ zhòng jī kě yǐ diào qǐ shí dūn de huò wù.
    This crane can lift ten tons of cargo.

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.

起重raise weight
起qǐraise重zhòngweight
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

起重 (raise weight) + 机 (machine) makes a machine that lifts heavy loads.

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →
Appears in
Industry & Manufacturing

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