探照灯 (tàn zhào dēng) — searchlight | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

searchlight

Measure word · 盏

Examples

探照灯。
Jiàn zhù gōng rén yòng tàn zhào dēng zhào liàng gōng dì.
Construction workers use a searchlight to light up the worksite.
探照灯。
Wǔ tái shàng nà zhǎn tàn zhào dēng fēi cháng míng liàng.
That searchlight on the stage is very bright.
，探照灯。
Yè wǎn, jǐng chá yòng tàn zhào dēng xún zhǎo shī zōng de rén.
At night, the police use a searchlight to look for the missing person.

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.

探照search and illuminate

探tànsearch照zhàoilluminate

联合Side by side

探 suggests searching and 照 shining, while 灯 is a lamp, making a searchlight.

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shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

𥥍

𥥍𥥍探tàn

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

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

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

灬昭照

Meaning part形符xíngfú

灬Written in full as火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

昭

昭zhāo照zhào

Same sound today

照 uses 灬, a bottom form of 火 (fire), plus 昭 for the sound.

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

火丁灯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

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