对光 (duì guāng) — to focus (a camera, telescope, or optical instrument); to adjust the power (of eyeglasses during an eye exam)

Definition

对光 is a technical verb meaning to focus a camera/telescope or to adjust the lens power during an eye exam. It is a verb-object phrase, not a separable verb.

verb
to focus (a camera, telescope, or optical instrument)to adjust the power (of eyeglasses during an eye exam)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 对光。
    Pāi zhào zhī qián yào xiān duì guāng.
    You need to focus first before taking a photo.
  • ，。
    Tā bāng wǒ duì le yí cì guāng, yǎn jìng jiù qīng chǔ le.
    He adjusted the power once for me, and the glasses became clear.
  • 对光，。
    Zhè tái xiàng jī zì dòng duì guāng, bú yòng shǒu dòng tiáo.
    This camera focuses automatically, no need to adjust manually.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

对duìalign
光guānglight

对 means align or adjust, and 光 refers to light; together they describe focusing or adjusting power.

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 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →

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