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放射线 (fàng shè xiàn) — radioactive rays; radiation

Definition

noun
radioactive raysradiation
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 放射线。
    Zhè zhǒng fàng shè xiàn duì rén tǐ yǒu hài.
    This type of radioactive rays is harmful to the human body.
  • 放射线。
    Yī yuàn yòng fàng shè xiàn zhì liáo ái zhèng.
    Hospitals use radiation to treat cancer.
  • 放射线。
    Yǔ zhòu zhōng chōng mǎn le fàng shè xiàn.
    The universe is full of radioactive rays.

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.

放射emit
放fàngrelease射shèshoot
联合Coordinate
线xiànline

放射 'emit' and 线 'line' combine to mean rays emitted as radiation.

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
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

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

In 射, the left part comes from 弓 (bow) and 矢 (arrow), and the right part comes from a hand drawing the bowstring.

Open 射 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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