供电系统 (gōng diàn xì tǒng) — power supply system

Definition

idiom
power supply system

Examples

  • 供电系统。
    Zhè ge gōng diàn xì tǒng hěn kě kào.
    This power supply system is very reliable.
  • 供电系统。
    Wǒ men xū yào shēng jí gōng diàn xì tǒng.
    We need to upgrade the power supply system.
  • 供电系统。
    gōng diàn xì tǒng Duì gōng chǎng fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    The power supply system is very important for the factory.

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.

供电supply electricity
供gòngsupply电diànelectricity
动宾Verb + object
系统system
系xìconnect统tǒngunify
联合Side by side

供电 is to supply electricity, and 系统 is the connected network that does it.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng供gòng
Same sound today

供 is made of 亻, a person, and 共, which gives the sound gòng.

Open 供 →

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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

系 is made by putting together 手 (hand) and 糸 (silk).

Open 系 →

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 統; 统 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
充
充chōng統tǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 統 uses 糸 as a meaning part and 充 as a sound part; the simplified 统 is a later shorthand, so this story is about 統, not about 统's parts.

Open 统 →

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