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支架 (zhī jià) — (noun) support, stand, frame (a physical structure that holds something up); (noun) stent (medical device inserted into a blood vessel); (verb) to prop up, to support

Definition

支架 is a noun for a physical support/stand/stent and a verb meaning 'to prop up' — more concrete than 支撑 (which can be figurative). Combines 支 + 架: 架 alone is the basic 'frame/stand'; 支 adds the 'prop up, hold up' sense.

noun
supportstandframe (a physical structure that holds something up)stent (medical device inserted into a blood vessel)
verb
to prop upto support
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 支架，。
    Zhè ge shū jià de zhī jià huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè xīn de.
    The support of this bookshelf is broken and needs to be replaced with a new one.
  • 支架，。
    Yī shēng gěi tā fàng le yí gè xīn zàng zhī jià, xuè guǎn jiù tōng le.
    The doctor placed a cardiac stent in him, and the blood vessel opened up.
  • 支架。
    Gōng rén yòng gāng guǎn zhī jià zhù kuài yào dǎo tā de qiáng.
    The workers propped up the collapsing wall with steel pipes.

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.

支zhīsupport
架jiàframe

支架 is a 架 for 支: a frame or stand that holds something up.

Characters in this word

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

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

Open 支 →

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
木木mùtree, wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
加
加jiā架jià
Same sound today

架 shows 木, meaning wood, with 加 giving the sound; it refers to a wooden prop.

Open 架 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Medicine & TreatmentMiscellaneous Objects

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