全速 (quán sù) — top speed, full speed | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'full speed' — the maximum pace a vehicle, runner, or machine is capable of. Often appears with 以 as in 以全速行驶 ('to travel at top speed').

noun

top speedfull speed

全速。
Qì chē zhèng yǐ quán sù xíng shǐ.
The car is traveling at full speed.
全速。
Tā quán sù chōng xiàng zhōng diǎn xiàn.
He sprinted at full speed toward the finish line.
全速。
Shēng chǎn xiàn yǐ quán sù yùn zhuǎn.
The production line is running at full speed.

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.

全quánfull/entire

全 'full/entire' describes the extent of 速 'speed', giving maximum speed.

Characters in this word

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

The shape puts 入 together with 玉 to show a whole piece of jade, so it means complete or whole.

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

辵辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

束

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.