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断电 (duàn diàn) — to lose power, to have a power outage; to cut off the electricity

Definition

断电 (duàn diàn) is a separable verb meaning the electricity stops or is shut off — either an unplanned outage or an intentional cut. Split it as 断了电 / 断了一个小时的电 in past and持续 contexts.

verb
to lose powerto have a power outageto cut off the electricity

Examples

  • 断电。
    Zuó tiān xià wǔ wǒ men xiǎo qū tū rán duàn diàn le.
    Yesterday afternoon our neighborhood suddenly lost power.
  • ，？
    Yǐ jīng duàn le yí gè xiǎo shí de diàn le, shén me shí hou néng huī fù?
    The power has been out for an hour — when will it come back?
  • 断电。
    Wéi xiū diàn lù shí xū yào xiān duàn diàn.
    When repairing the circuit, you need to cut the power first.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

断duànbreak/cut off
电diànelectricity

断 'break/cut off' combines with 电 'electricity' to mean cutting off power.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斷; 断 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 斷 uses 𢇍 (to cut) and 斤 (axe) together.

Open 断 →

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →
Appears in
Energy & Power

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