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步话机 (bù huà jī) — walkie-talkie; two-way radio

Definition

noun
walkie-talkietwo-way radio
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 步话机。
    Tā yòng bù huà jī hé tóng shì bǎo chí lián xì.
    He uses a walkie-talkie to keep in touch with his colleagues.
  • ，步话机。
    Dēng shān de shí hou, bù huà jī shì bì bèi de zhuāng bèi.
    When mountain climbing, a walkie-talkie is essential equipment.
  • 步话机。
    Zhè ge bù huà jī de diàn chí kě yǐ yòng yì zhěng tiān.
    The battery of this walkie-talkie can last a whole day.

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.

步话walk-talk
步bùwalk话huàtalk
偏正Modifier + head
机jīmachine

步话 gives the idea of talking while walking, and 机 names the device.

Characters in this word

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

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →
Appears in
Phones & Telecom

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