铲雪机 (chǎn xuě jī) — snowplow, snow blower

Definition

noun
snowplowsnow blower
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • ，铲雪机。
    Dōng tiān dào le, lù shang yǒu hěn duō chǎn xuě jī zài gōng zuò.
    Winter has arrived, and there are many snowplows working on the roads.
  • 铲雪机。
    Tā yòng chǎn xuě jī bǎ mén qián de xuě qīng gān jìng le.
    He used a snow blower to clear the snow in front of the door.
  • 铲雪机。
    Shì zhèng fǔ mǎi le shí tái xīn chǎn xuě jī.
    The city government bought ten new snowplows.

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.

铲雪shovel snow
铲chǎnshovel雪xuěsnow
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

铲雪 contributes the action of shoveling snow, 机 contributes the machine, so the word names a snow-clearing machine.

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 鏟; 铲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 铲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 剷; in others it is 鏟.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
產
產chǎn鏟chǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 鏟 pairs 金 (metal) with 產 as a sound part; the simplified 铲 is a later shorthand.

Open 铲 →

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
彗
彗huì雪xuě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

雪 pairs 雨, showing rain, with 彗, giving the sound.

Open 雪 →

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 →

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