拖拉机 (tuō lā jī) — tractor | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

tractor

Measure word · 台

Examples

拖拉机。
Nóng mín kāi zhe yí liàng tuō lā jī zài dì lǐ gōng zuò.
The farmer drives a tractor working in the field.
拖拉机。
Zhè tái tuō lā jī yǐ jīng yòng le shí nián le.
This tractor has been used for ten years.
拖拉机。
Tā men yòng tuō lā jī bǎ dōng xī yùn dào cāng kù.
They use a tractor to transport things to the warehouse.

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.

拖拉tractor

音译Transliteration

机jīmachine

拖拉 approximates the foreign word for tractor and 机 indicates a machine.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

它

它tā拖tuō

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

拖 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand, and 它 to give its sound.

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

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

立

立lì拉lā

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

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

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

木几机

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

几

几jǐ机jī

Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Appears in

Agriculture & Farming Vehicles

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