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信号灯 (xìn hào dēng) — traffic light; signal light (for railways, ships, etc.)

Definition

noun
traffic lightsignal light (for railways, ships, etc.)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 信号灯，。
    Qián miàn yǒu yí gè xìn hào dēng, qǐng tíng chē děng dài.
    There is a traffic light ahead, please stop and wait.
  • 信号灯，。
    Huǒ chē zhàn de xìn hào dēng xiǎn shì lǜ sè, huǒ chē kě yǐ jìn zhàn le.
    The signal light at the railway station shows green; the train can enter the station now.
  • ，信号灯。
    Tā děng le hěn cháng shí jiān, xìn hào dēng zhōng yú biàn le.
    He waited for a long time, and the traffic light finally changed.

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.

信号signal
信xìninformation号hàosignal
偏正Modifier + head
灯dēnglamp

信号 means signal, 灯 means lamp, so together it is a lamp that gives signals.

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
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →

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
Roads & Traffic

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