压路机 (yā lù jī) — road roller

Definition

noun
road roller
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 压路机。
    Gōng rén yòng yā lù jī bǎ lù yā píng le.
    The workers used a road roller to flatten the road.
  • 压路机。
    Nà tái yā lù jī zhèng zài xiū lù.
    That road roller is repairing the road.
  • 压路机，。
    yā lù jī De shēng yīn hěn dà, wǒ zài jiā lǐ dōu tīng de jiàn.
    The road roller is very loud; I can hear it even at home.

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.

压路press a road
压yāpress路lùroad
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

压路 gives pressing a road and 机 gives a machine, together a road roller.

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 壓; 压 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdust
Sound part声符shēngfú
厭
厭yàn壓yā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壓 is built from 土, dust, and 厭, which gives the sound; 压 is the simplified form of 壓.

Open 压 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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