定位仪 (dìng wèi yí) — positioning device; locator

Definition

noun
positioning devicelocator
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 定位仪。
    Zhè ge dìng wèi yí kě yǐ zhǔn què zhǎo dào nǐ de wèi zhì.
    This positioning device can accurately find your location.
  • GPS定位仪。
    Xīn kuǎn de qì chē dōu zhuāng le GPS dìng wèi yí.
    Newer cars are all equipped with a GPS locator.
  • 定位仪。
    Dēng shān shí zuì hǎo suí shēn dài yí gè dìng wèi yí.
    When mountain climbing, it's best to carry a locator with you.

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.

定位positioning
定dìngfix位wèiposition
动宾Verb + object
仪yíinstrument

定 fixes a position, and 仪 denotes an instrument for locating positions.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì位wèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

位 combines 人 (man), related to people, with 立, which gives the sound. It was often simply written as 立.

Open 位 →

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 儀; 仪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
義
義yì儀yí
Same sound today

In the traditional form 儀, the left part 亻 shows a person, and the right part 義 supplies the sound. This description is about 儀, not the simplified 仪.

Open 仪 →

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