通风管 (tōng fēng guǎn) — ventilation duct

Definition

noun
ventilation duct
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 通风管
    Gōng rén zhèng zài ān zhuāng xīn de tōng fēng guǎn.
    Workers are installing new ventilation ducts.
  • 通风管
    Chuán shàng de tōng fēng guǎn xū yào dìng qī jiǎn chá hé qīng jié.
    The ventilation ducts on the ship need regular inspection and cleaning.
  • 通风管
    Zhè ge fáng jiān de tōng fēng guǎn shè jì dé bú tài hé lǐ.
    The ventilation duct design in this room is not very reasonable.

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.

通风ventilate
tōnglet passfēngair
动宾Verb + object

通 means let pass and 风 means air, forming 通风, then specifying 管, a pipe, as a ventilation duct.

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
Written in full aschuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
yǒngtōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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
zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
guānguǎn
Same sound today

管 has 竹 (bamboo) on top to show it relates to bamboo, and 官 gives its sound.

Open 管 →

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