传感器 (chuán gǎn qì) — sensor; transducer

Definition

noun
sensortransducer
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 传感器。
    Zhè ge chuán gǎn qì kě yǐ cè liáng wēn dù.
    This sensor can measure temperature.
  • 传感器。
    Jī qì rén shàng miàn ān zhuāng le duō zhǒng chuán gǎn qì.
    Multiple sensors are installed on the robot.
  • 传感器。
    Qì chē de ān quán xì tǒng yī lài zhè xiē chuán gǎn qì.
    The car's safety system relies on these sensors.

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.

传感sensing and transmitting
传chuántransmit感gǎnsense
联合Side by side
器qìdevice

传感 describes sensing and transmitting, and 器 names the device.

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
咸
咸xián感gǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

感 pairs 咸, which gives the sound, with 心, the heart, for feeling.

Open 感 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

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