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发电站 (fā diàn zhàn) — power station, power plant

Definition

noun
power stationpower plant
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 发电站。
    Zhè ge fā diàn zhàn wèi zhěng gè chéng shì tí gōng diàn lì.
    This power station provides electricity for the entire city.
  • 发电站。
    Xīn de fā diàn zhàn jiàn zài jiāo qū.
    The new power station is built in the suburbs.
  • 发电站。
    fā diàn zhàn De gōng rén měi tiān dōu yào jiǎn chá shè bèi.
    The workers at the power station check the equipment every day.

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.

发电produce electricity
发fāproduce电diànelectricity
动宾Verb + object
站zhànstation

发电 means producing electricity and 站 means station, giving a station that produces electricity.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn站zhàn
Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

Open 站 →
Appears in
Energy & Power

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