平移 (píng yí) — (geometry/physics) translation, linear displacement without rotation

Definition

A motion (or transformation) that slides a figure in a straight line without rotating it — position changes, orientation and shape do not. In everyday use it can also mean physically relocating a large object to a new spot.

noun
(geometry/physics) translation, linear displacement without rotation

Examples

  • ，平移。
    Zài jǐ hé xué zhōng, píng yí shì yì zhǒng jī běn de biàn huàn.
    In geometry, translation is a basic transformation.
  • 平移，，。
    Zhè ge tú xíng jīng guò píng yí hòu, wèi zhì biàn le, xíng zhuàng bú biàn.
    After this shape undergoes translation, its position changes but its shape stays the same.
  • 平移。
    Gōng chéng shī jué dìng jiāng zhè zuò gǔ jiàn zhù zhěng tǐ píng yí dào xīn dì diǎn.
    The engineers decided to relocate this ancient building as a whole to a new site.

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.

平pínglevel
移yímove

平 indicates level motion and 移 means to move, giving translation.

Characters in this word

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
多
多duō移
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

移 pairs 禾, a grain plant, with 多, which gives the sound.

Open 移 →

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