气枪 (qì qiāng) — air gun | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

air gun

Measure word · 把

Examples

气枪。
Tā xǐ huan yòng qì qiāng dǎ bǎ.
He likes to practice shooting targets with an air gun.
气枪。
Zhè bǎ qì qiāng shì bǐ sài zhuān yòng de.
This air gun is specially designed for competitions.
气枪。
Jǐng chá jiǎo huò le yì bǎ qì qiāng.
The police seized an air gun.

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.

“气” supplies the air power, and “枪” is the gun it drives.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

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 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

木倉槍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

倉

倉cāng槍qiāng

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

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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