动量 (dòng liàng) — (physics) momentum; (linguistics) verbal measure word (classifier for actions)

Definition

Two unrelated meanings of 动量: in physics, it means 'momentum' (mass × velocity); in linguistics, it means 'verbal measure word' — a classifier for actions, like 次, 遍, or 下.

noun
(physics) momentum(linguistics) verbal measure word (classifier for actions)

Examples

  • ，动量。
    Zài jīng diǎn lì xué zhōng, dòng liàng shì zhì liàng yǔ sù dù de chéng jī.
    In classical mechanics, momentum is the product of mass and velocity.
  • 动量“”“”“”。
    Hàn yǔ de dòng liàng cí bāo kuò "cì" "biàn" "xià" děng.
    Chinese verbal measure words include "cì", "biàn", "xià", etc.
  • 动量。
    Pèng zhuàng qián hòu xì tǒng de zǒng dòng liàng bǎo chí bú biàn.
    The total momentum of the system remains constant before and after the collision.

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.

动dòngmoving
量liángquantity

动 means moving, and 量 means quantity, so together they refer to the quantity of motion.

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.