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收音机 (shōu yīn jī) — radio

Definition

A physical radio set you listen to at home or carry. 电台 is the broadcasting station itself; 直播 is the live broadcast content.

noun
radio
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 收音机。
    Bà ba měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu tīng shōu yīn jī.
    Dad listens to the radio every morning.
  • 收音机。
    Zhè tái shōu yīn jī shì yé ye sòng gěi wǒ de.
    This radio was given to me by my grandpa.
  • 收音机。
    shōu yīn jī Lǐ zhèng zài bō xīn wén.
    The radio is broadcasting news right now.

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.

收音receive sound
收shōureceive音yīnsound
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

收 receive, 音 sound, 机 machine: a machine that receives sound.

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
丩
丩jiū收shōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

收 uses 攴 to show an action and 丩 as a sound clue; the old meaning was 'to arrest.'

Open 收 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Open 音 →

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
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Phones & Telecom5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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