听筒 (tīng tǒng) — (telephone) receiver; earphone; headphone; stet… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A compound noun covering three audio devices: the telephone receiver (拿起听筒), the stethoscope (医生用听筒), and headphones/earphones. The meaning is set by context, since the word itself just means "listening tube."

noun

(telephone) receiverearphoneheadphonestethoscope

Measure word · 个

Examples

听筒，“”。
Tā ná qǐ tīng tǒng, shuō le yī shēng "wèi".
He picked up the receiver and said "hello".
听筒。
Yī shēng yòng tīng tǒng tīng bìng rén de xīn tiào.
The doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to the patient's heartbeat.
听筒，。
Tā dài shàng tīng tǒng, kāi shǐ tīng yīn yuè.
He put on the headphones and started listening to music.

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.

“听” is listen and “筒” is tube, naming a tube used for hearing.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

耳耳ěrear
口口kǒumouth(s)

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

𥫗同筒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

同

同tóng筒tǒng

Same sound today

The bamboo part 竹 marks 筒 as a bamboo tube, and 同 gives its sound.

Appears in

Phones & Telecom

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