手电筒 (shǒu diàn tǒng) — flashlight | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

flashlight

Measure word · 个

Examples

。
Wǒ wǎn shàng chū mén de shí hou zǒng shì dài zhe shǒu diàn tǒng.
I always bring a flashlight when I go out at night.
手电筒，。
Zhè ge shǒu diàn tǒng hěn liàng, diàn chí kě yǐ yòng hěn jiǔ.
This flashlight is very bright, and the battery lasts a long time.
，。
Tíng diàn le, kuài bǎ shǒu diàn tǒng zhǎo chū lái.
The power is out, quickly find the flashlight.

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.

电筒electric tube

电diànelectric筒tǒngtube

偏正Modifier + head

手 means hand, 电 electric, and 筒 tube, so it is a hand-held electric tube.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

申

申shēn電diàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

𥫗同筒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

同

同tóng筒tǒng

Same sound today

The bamboo part 竹 marks 筒 as a bamboo tube, and 同 gives its sound.

Appears in

Everyday Objects

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.