超负荷 (chāo fù hé) — overload | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal/technical term for 'overload' — a system, machine, or person pushed beyond its normal capacity. The informal everyday word is 太多 (tài duō) or 太累.

noun

overload

Examples

超负荷，。
Zhè tái jī qì cháng qī chāo fù hé yùn zhuǎn, hěn kuài jiù huài le.
This machine ran under overload for a long time and soon broke.
超负荷，。
Tā yīn wèi gōng zuò chāo fù hé tài dà, zuì jìn tài lèi le.
He has been too tired lately because the workload overload is too great.
超负荷，。
Diàn wǎng chū xiàn chāo fù hé shí, huì zì dòng qiē duàn diàn yuán.
When the power grid experiences overload, it will automatically cut off the power.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

负荷load

负fùcarry荷hécarry

联合Coordinate

超负荷 comes from 超, to exceed, and 负荷, a load, so it describes a load that is exceeded.

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.

走召超

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

召

召zhào超chāo

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

超 pairs 走, meaning “run,” with 召, which gives the sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 負; 负 is its simplified writing.

⺈人rénperson
貝貝bèicowry

The traditional form 負 combines 人 (person) and 貝 (cowry), with 人 written as ⺈; the simplified 负 is a later abbreviation.

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

艸艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

何

何hé荷hé

Same sound today

荷 has 艸, the grass/plant form, to show a plant, and 何 to give the sound.

Appears in

Abstract Concepts

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