指挥台 (zhǐ huī tái) — command platform; conductor's podium; control console

Definition

noun
command platformconductor's podiumcontrol console
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 指挥台。
    Tā zhàn zài zhǐ huī tái shàng zhǐ huī yuè duì.
    He stood on the podium to conduct the orchestra.
  • 指挥台。
    Jiàn zhǎng zài zhǐ huī tái shàng xià dá mìng lìng.
    The captain gave orders from the command platform.
  • 指挥台。
    Yǎn jiǎng zhě zǒu shàng zhǐ huī tái kāi shǐ jiǎng huà.
    The speaker stepped onto the platform and started speaking.

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.

指挥command
指zhǐpoint挥huīwave
联合Side by side
台táiplatform

指 and 挥 combine to mean command; 台 is the platform.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 揮; 挥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn揮huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 揮 pairs 扌 (hand) with 軍 as a sound part; the simplified 挥 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 挥 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →

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