支路 (zhī lù) — branch road, bypass; (electrical) branch circuit

Definition

A secondary road or route branching off a main road, or (in electrical contexts) a branch circuit. Compared to 主路, it carries lighter traffic or a lower current.

noun
branch roadbypass(electrical) branch circuit
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 支路。
    Zhè tiáo zhī lù tōng xiàng gōng yuán.
    This branch road leads to the park.
  • ，支路。
    Wèi le huǎn jiě jiāo tōng, tā men xiū le yì tiáo zhī lù.
    To ease traffic, they built a bypass.
  • 支路。
    Zhè tiáo zhī lù lián jiē zhe duō gè diàn qì.
    This branch circuit connects multiple appliances.

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zhībranch
路lùroad

支 gives the sense of a side branch, and 路 gives the sense of a road, so together they name a branch road.

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →

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