弹簧 (tán huáng) — spring (mechanical)

Definition

noun
spring (mechanical)
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 弹簧
    Zhè ge tán huáng yǐ jīng shēng xiù le, xū yào gēng huàn.
    This spring has rusted and needs to be replaced.
  • 弹簧
    tán huáng Mén de tán lì hěn qiáng, xiǎo xīn bié bèi tán dào.
    The spring door is very bouncy; be careful not to get hit.
  • 弹簧
    Zhè zhāng chuáng diàn lǐ de tán huáng huài le, shuì qǐ lái bù shū fu.
    The spring inside this mattress is broken, so it's uncomfortable to sleep on.

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.

tánelastic

弹 (elastic) describes 簧 (reed/spring), naming an elastic coil.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
dāntán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 簧 →

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