霓虹灯 (ní hóng dēng) — neon light | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

neon light

Measure word · 盏

Examples

霓虹灯，。
Zhè tiáo jiē shàng dào chù dōu shì ní hóng dēng, wǎn shàng tè bié piào liang.
This street is full of neon lights, especially beautiful at night.
霓虹灯。
Shāng diàn mén kǒu guà zhe yí gè hóng sè ní hóng dēng.
A red neon light hangs at the entrance of the shop.
霓虹灯。
Lǎo chéng qū de lǎo shì ní hóng dēng yuè lái yuè shǎo jiàn le.
Old-fashioned neon lights in the old city are becoming rarer.

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.

霓虹neon

音译Transliteration

霓虹 is a sound loan for neon, and 灯 means lamp.

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.

兒雨霓

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

兒

兒ér霓ní

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

霓 has 雨, meaning rain, and 兒, used for the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

虫工虹

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect; creature

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng虹hóng

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

The earliest form drew a two-headed dragon; later 虹 used 虫 (creature) to show it was a creature and 工 for sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

火丁灯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

Appears in

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