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冲击波 (chōng jī bō) — (physics) shock wave, blast wave; (figurative) impact, ripple effect, influence

Definition

Literal sense: the shock/blast wave from an explosion. Figuratively, the ripple effect a major event sends through an industry, market, or society.

noun
(physics) shock waveblast wave(figurative) impactripple effectinfluence
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 冲击波。
    Bào zhà chǎn shēng de chōng jī bō cuī huǐ le fù jìn de jiàn zhù.
    The blast wave from the explosion destroyed nearby buildings.
  • 冲击波。
    Zhè xiàng xīn zhèng cè de chōng jī bō yǐng xiǎng le zhěng gè háng yè.
    The shockwave from this new policy affected the entire industry.
  • 冲击波。
    Jīn róng wēi jī dài lái le quán qiú xìng de chōng jī bō.
    The financial crisis brought a global shockwave.

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.

冲击impact
冲chōngdash击jīstrike
联合Coordinate
波bōwave

冲 and 击 mean dash and strike, 波 means wave, so together it is a wave of impact.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 衝; 冲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 冲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (冲, 冲动) it is 衝; in others (冲) it is 沖.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng衝chōng
Same sound today

The traditional form 衝 shows 重 inside 行, with 行 as the meaning part and 重 as the sound part; the simplified 冲 is a later shorthand.

Open 冲 →

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
毄
毄jī擊jī
Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Open 击 →

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
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.

Open 波 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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