噪声 (zào shēng) — noise | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

噪声 (zàoshēng) is unwanted, disturbing noise (from machines, construction, traffic). It is more negative than neutral 声 ('sound') and more specific than 响声, which can be any noise or sound.

noun

noise

Examples

噪声。
Gé bì zhuāng xiū chǎn shēng de zào shēng ràng wǒ wú fǎ zhuān xīn gōng zuò.
The noise from the renovation makes it impossible for me to focus on work.
，噪声。
Tú shū guǎn lǐ qǐng bǎo chí ān jìng, bú yào zhì zào zào shēng.
Please keep quiet in the library and don't make noise.
噪声。
Zhè zhǒng ěr jī néng yǒu xiào gé jué wài jiè zào shēng.
These headphones can effectively block out outside noise.

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.

噪 means noisy and 声 means sound, so the pair means noise.

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.

口喿噪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

喿

喿zào噪zào

Same sound today

噪 combines 口 (mouth) with 喿, a part read zào and meaning 'to chirp'; the character was originally written just 喿.

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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

殸耳聲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

耳耳ěrear

Sound part声符shēngfú

殸

殸qìng聲shēng

Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6

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