交换机 (jiāo huàn jī) — switchboard (telephone exchange equipment) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

switchboard (telephone exchange equipment)

Measure word · 台

Examples

交换机，。
Gōng sī de jiāo huàn jī chū le gù zhàng, diàn huà dōu dǎ bù tōng le.
The company's switchboard broke down, and none of the phones could get through.
交换机。
Tā yǐ qián zài diàn xìn jú fù zé wéi hù jiāo huàn jī.
He used to be responsible for maintaining the switchboard at the telecommunications bureau.
交换机，。
Xīn dà lóu ān zhuāng le shù zì jiāo huàn jī, tōng huà zhì liàng gèng hǎo le.
The new building has installed a digital switchboard, so the call quality is better.

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.

交换exchange

交jiāoexchange换huànchange

联合Side by side

机jīmachine

交 and 换 both suggest exchange, and 机 is a machine, giving a switchboard.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

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 換; 换 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

奐

奐huàn換huàn

Same sound today

For the traditional form 換, 手 is the hand part and 奐 gives the sound; this note is about 換, not the simplified 换.

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

木几机

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.

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