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光缆 (guāng lǎn) — optical cable

Definition

A technical term meaning 'optical cable' — a fiber-optic cable used for high-speed data transmission.

noun
optical cable
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 光缆。
    Gōng sī zhèng zài pū shè xīn de guāng lǎn.
    The company is laying new optical cables.
  • 光缆。
    Zhè zhǒng guāng lǎn de chuán shū sù dù fēi cháng kuài.
    This type of optical cable has very fast transmission speed.
  • 光缆。
    Jì shù rén yuán zhèng zài jiǎn chá guāng lǎn de jiē kǒu.
    Technicians are checking the optical cable's connectors.

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guānglight
缆lǎncable

光 is light, and 缆 is cable, giving a cable that carries light signals.

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.

Open 光 →

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 纜; 缆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
覽
覽lǎn纜
Same sound today

The traditional form 纜 has 糹 (silk) beside 覽, which gives the sound; the simplified 缆 is a later shorthand.

Open 缆 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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