控制台 (kòng zhì tái) — control console; console (for operating equipment or systems)

Definition

noun
control consoleconsole (for operating equipment or systems)
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 控制台
    Gōng chéng shī zhèng zài kòng zhì tái shàng jiān kòng xì tǒng.
    The engineer is monitoring the system on the console.
  • 控制台
    Qǐng bǎ kòng zhì tái shàng de àn niǔ àn yí xià.
    Please press the button on the console.
  • 控制台
    Zhè ge kòng zhì tái kě yǐ tóng shí kòng zhì duō tái jī qì.
    This console can control multiple machines at the same time.

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.

控制control
kòngcontrolzhìcontrol
联合Coordinate
táiplatform

控 and 制 both mean control, and 台 is a platform, together a control console.

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
Written in full asshǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
kōngkòng
Same sound today

The left part is 手 written as 扌, showing a hand; the right part 空 gives the sound.

Open 控 →

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

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Open 制 →

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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