喷火器 (pēn huǒ qì) — flamethrower | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

flamethrower

Measure word · 个

喷火器。
Shì bīng shǐ yòng pēn huǒ qì gōng jī dí rén.
The soldier used a flamethrower to attack the enemy.
喷火器。
pēn huǒ qì Shì yì zhǒng wēi xiǎn de wǔ qì.
A flamethrower is a dangerous weapon.
喷火器。
Tā zài zhàn chǎng shàng jiàn guò pēn huǒ qì.
He has seen a flamethrower on the battlefield.

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.

喷火spray fire

动宾Verb + object

喷火 means spraying fire, and 器 names a device, so the word is a device that throws fire.

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 噴; 喷 is its simplified writing.

口賁噴

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

賁

賁bì噴pēn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 噴 pairs 口, mouth, with 賁 for the sound; the simplified 喷 is a later shorthand.

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

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