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发条 (fā tiáo) — (mechanical) spring, coil spring; (legal) article, clause, provision

Definition

发条 (fātiáo) has two unrelated senses: a coiled mechanical spring (wound by hand to power a clock or toy), and a clause or article in a legal document. The character 发 here means "to issue / wind."

noun
(mechanical) springcoil spring(legal) articleclauseprovision
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 发条，。
    Zhè ge nào zhōng de fā tiáo huài le, bù néng xiǎng le.
    The spring in this alarm clock is broken, so it can't ring.
  • 发条。
    Wán jù chē de fā tiáo shàng jǐn hòu jiù néng pǎo.
    After winding up the spring of the toy car, it can run.
  • 发条。
    Gāi fǎ lǜ de dì shí tiáo fā tiáo míng què le gōng mín de yì wù.
    Article 10 of that law clarifies citizens' obligations.

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.

发fārelease or issue
条tiáostrip or article

发 suggests releasing or issuing, and 条 is a strip or article; together they name a coil spring or provision.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →
Appears in
Miscellaneous Objects

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