TongTong
Sign in

有线电视 (yǒu xiàn diàn shì) — cable TV

Definition

noun
cable TV
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 有线电视，。
    Wǒ jiā zhuāng le yǒu xiàn diàn shì, kě yǐ kàn hěn duō pín dào.
    We installed cable TV at home and can watch many channels.
  • 有线电视，。
    Xiàn zài hěn duō rén bú kàn yǒu xiàn diàn shì le, gǎi yòng wǎng luò diàn shì.
    Nowadays many people no longer watch cable TV and have switched to internet TV.
  • 有线电视。
    Zhè ge tǐ yù jié mù zhǐ yǒu yǒu xiàn diàn shì cái bō.
    This sports program is only broadcast on cable TV.

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.

有线wired
有yǒuhave线xiànwire
动宾Verb + object
电视television
电diànelectricity视shìview
偏正Modifier + head

有线 means having wires and 电视 means television, so the sense is television delivered through cables.

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 →

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 →

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 視; 视 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
示
示shì視shì
Same sound today

The story is about the traditional form 視: it combines 見, meaning see, with 示, which gives the sound shì.

Open 视 →
Appears in
Media & News

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.