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报警器 (bào jǐng qì) — alarm (e.g., burglar or fire alarm); warning device

Definition

noun
alarm (e.g., burglar or fire alarm)warning device
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 报警器。
    Wǒ men de gōng sī ān zhuāng le xīn de bào jǐng qì.
    Our company installed a new alarm.
  • 报警器，。
    Huǒ zāi bào jǐng qì tū rán xiǎng le, dà jiā dōu xià le yí tiào.
    The fire alarm suddenly went off, and everyone was startled.
  • 报警器。
    Qǐng jiǎn chá yí xià bào jǐng qì diàn chí yǒu méi yǒu diàn.
    Please check whether the alarm battery has power.

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.

报警give warning
报bàoreport警jǐngwarning
动宾Verb + object
器qìdevice

报警 “give warning” and 器 “device” name a device that gives warnings.

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 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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
言言yánspoken language, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
敬
敬jìng警
Same sound today

警 places 言 (speech) below 敬; 敬 gives the sound.

Open 警 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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