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闪光灯 (shǎn guāng dēng) — camera flash, photoflash

Definition

The flash unit on a camera — the built-in or detachable lamp that fires a short burst of light for a photo. In casual speech Chinese speakers often just shorten it to 闪光.

noun
camera flashphotoflash
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 闪光灯。
    Wǎn shàng pāi zhào de shí hou jì de kāi shǎn guāng dēng.
    Remember to turn on the flash when taking photos at night.
  • 闪光灯。
    Zhè ge shǎn guāng dēng de liàng dù kě yǐ tiáo jié.
    The brightness of this flash is adjustable.
  • 闪光灯。
    Zài bó wù guǎn lǐ pāi zhào yào guān bì shǎn guāng dēng.
    You should disable the flash when taking photos in a museum.

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.

闪光flashing light
闪shǎnflash光guānglight
偏正Modifier + head
灯dēnglamp

闪 (flash) and 光 (light) form a flashing light, and 灯 names the device.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 閃; 闪 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional 閃, 人 (person) appears inside 門 (gate), showing a person running through a gate. The simplified 闪 is a later shorthand.

Open 闪 →

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →

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
火火huǒ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng灯dēng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灯 pairs 火, which shows fire, with 丁, which gives the sound.

Open 灯 →
Appears in
Photography & Design

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