光波 (guāng bō) — light wave | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

light wave

Examples

光波。
guāng bō De sù dù fēi cháng kuài.
The speed of light waves is very fast.
光波。
Wǒ men yòng yǎn jing kàn bú dào guāng bō.
We can't see light waves with our eyes.
光波。
guāng bō Hé shēng bō bù yí yàng.
Light waves and sound waves are different.

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.

光 light and 波 wave combine to mean a wave of light.

Characters in this word

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

火火huǒfire
卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

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

氵皮波

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

皮

皮pí波bō

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 皮 gives the sound.

Appears in

Physics & Chemistry

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