杠杆 (gàng gǎn) — (noun) lever; pry bar; crowbar; (noun, finance)… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

杠杆 means 'lever' — either a physical pry bar or, in finance, 'leverage'. 杆 alone is the general 'stick/pole/rod' and also a measure word for long thin objects; 杠杆 is specifically the pivoting tool and the financial concept built on it.

noun

leverpry barcrowbar(noun, finance) leverage

Measure word · 根

Examples

杠杆。
Tā yòng gàng gǎn qiào kāi le nà kuài dà shí tou.
He used a lever to pry open that large stone.
杠杆。
Gōng sī tōng guò gàng gǎn xiào yìng kuò dà le yè wù guī mó.
The company expanded its business scale through the leverage effect.
杠杆。
gàng gǎn Yuán lǐ zài gōng chéng hé jīn róng zhōng dū hěn zhòng yào.
The principle of leverage is important in both engineering and finance.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

杠 and 杆 both refer to a rigid rod, naming a lever or pry bar.

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.

木工杠

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng杠gàng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

杠 has 木 (tree) on the left and 工 on the right. The 木 part is about wood, and 工 gives the sound.

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

木干杆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

干

干gān杆gǎn

Same sound today

杆 pairs 木 (tree) with 干, which gives the sound. The 木 part shows the thing is made of wood.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Finance & Banking Miscellaneous Objects

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