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充电 (chōng diàn) — to recharge (a battery); (figurative) to recharge oneself, to refresh one's skills or energy

Definition

Literally 'to charge (a battery)' — also used figuratively for recharging one's energy or skills. 充值 is for topping up an account or card, not a physical battery.

verb
to recharge (a battery)(figurative) to recharge oneself, to refresh one's skills or energy

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ de shǒu jī xū yào chōng yí cì diàn.
    My phone needs a charge.
  • ，充电。
    Zhōu mò qù pá shān, gěi zì jǐ chōng diàn.
    Go hiking on the weekend to recharge yourself.
  • 充电。
    Tā tōng guò kàn shū lái chōng diàn.
    He recharges by reading books.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

充chōngfill
电diànelectricity

充 means to fill or charge, and 电 means electricity; together they mean to recharge a battery.

Characters in this word

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

  • 𠫓𠫓𠫓a newborn
  • 儿儿érstanding person

充 pairs 𠫓, a newborn, with 儿, a standing person, to picture a newborn growing to stand.

Open 充 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Energy & PowerTechnology & Engineering

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