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超载 (chāo zǎi) — to overload (a vehicle, electrical circuit, system, etc.)

Definition

超载 means to exceed a designed limit — a vehicle, electrical circuit, or workload carrying more than it should. More specific than the general 超过 ('to exceed'), which names any surplus.

verb
to overload (a vehicle, electrical circuit, system, etc.)

Examples

  • 超载，。
    Zhè liàng kǎ chē chāo zǎi le, bù néng shàng lù.
    This truck is overloaded and cannot go on the road.
  • 超载。
    Diàn lù chāo zǎi huì dǎo zhì huǒ zāi.
    An overloaded circuit can cause a fire.
  • 超载，。
    Gōng sī zuì jìn rèn wu chāo zǎi, yuán gōng dōu hěn lèi.
    The company has been overloaded with tasks lately, and the employees are all tired.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

超chāoexceed
载zǎiload

超 means exceed and 载 means load, so the word describes carrying more than the allowed load.

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zǒurun
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.

Open 超 →

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 載; 载 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūchariot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏載zài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 載 has 車, a chariot, and 𢦏 gives the sound; 载 is its simplified form.

Open 载 →
Appears in
Safety & DangerVehicles

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