振荡器 (zhèn dàng qì) — oscillator

Definition

noun
oscillator
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 振荡器。
    Zhè ge zhèn dàng qì kě yǐ chǎn shēng wěn dìng de pín lǜ xìn hào.
    This oscillator can produce stable frequency signals.
  • 振荡器。
    Tā men yòng zhèn dàng qì lái cè shì yīn xiǎng shè bèi.
    They use an oscillator to test audio equipment.
  • 振荡器。
    Wǒ men xū yào gēng huàn yí gè sǔn huài de zhèn dàng qì.
    We need to replace a damaged oscillator.

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.

振荡oscillate
振zhènshake荡dàngsway
联合Side by side
器qìdevice

振 and 荡 mean shake and sway, and 器 means a device, so the whole names an oscillating device.

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
辰
辰chén振zhèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

振 pairs 手 (hand) with 辰: 手 shows it is about a hand action, and 辰 gives the sound.

Open 振 →

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 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →

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 →

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