挂灯 (guà dēng) — to hang a lamp, to install a hanging lamp

Definition

Hang a lamp or install a hanging fixture — 灯 is the object, 挂 tells you it's mounted overhead (ceiling, hook, wall).

verb
to hang a lampto install a hanging lamp

Examples

  • 挂灯。
    Tā zhèng zài fáng jiān lǐ guà dēng.
    He is hanging a lamp in the room.
  • 。
    Gōng rén guà le yì zhǎn xīn dēng.
    The worker hung a new lamp.
  • 挂灯。
    Nǐ bāng wǒ bǎ guà dēng guà gāo yì diǎn.
    Help me hang the lamp a bit higher.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

挂guàhang
灯dēnglamp

挂 means hang, and 灯 is the lamp being hung.

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 掛; 挂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺘Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卦
卦guà掛guà
Same sound today

In the traditional form 掛, the hand part ⺘ and the sound part 卦 show hooking or hanging something with the hand; this form was originally a popular form of 挂.

Open 挂 →

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
火火huǒ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng灯dēng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灯 pairs 火, which shows fire, with 丁, which gives the sound.

Open 灯 →

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