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来电 (lái diàn) — (noun) incoming call, message, or telegram; (verb, of electricity) to come back on after an outage; (verb, figurative) to have instant chemistry or attraction (usually romantic)

Definition

来电 most literally means an 'incoming call' (来电显示 = caller ID), and by extension a 'message' reaching you — opposite direction from 留言, which is a message you LEAVE. Figuratively, 来电 also means 'instant chemistry' between people.

noun
incoming callmessageor telegram
verb
(verb, of electricity) to come back on after an outage(verb, figurative) to have instant chemistry or attraction (usually romantic)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 来电，。
    Gāng cái yǒu yí gè nǐ de lái diàn, wǒ méi jiē.
    There was an incoming call for you just now, and I didn't answer.
  • 来电，。
    Tíng diàn sān xiǎo shí hòu zhōng yú lái diàn le, dà jiā dōu sōng le yì kǒu qì.
    After three hours of power outage, the electricity finally came back, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
  • 来电，。
    Tā men dì yī cì jiàn miàn jiù lái diàn le, xiàn zài chéng le hǎo péng you.
    They had instant chemistry when they first met, and now they've become good friends.

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.

来láicome
电diànelectricity/call

When 电 comes, it gives an incoming call or restored power.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Phones & Telecom5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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