水车 (shuǐ chē) — waterwheel; water cart; water wagon

Definition

A waterwheel uses flowing water to turn and lift or channel water (often traditional irrigation). A water cart is a vehicle that carries and sprinkles water for streets or plants.

noun
waterwheelwater cartwater wagon
Measure word · 辆

Examples

  • 水车。
    Zhè ge gǔ lǎo de shuǐ chē hái zài gōng zuò.
    This old waterwheel is still working.
  • 。
    Nóng mín yòng shuǐ chē bǎ shuǐ yǐn dào tián lǐ.
    Farmers use the waterwheel to channel water into the fields.
  • 水车。
    Jiē tóu de shuǐ chē zhèng zài gěi huā cǎo jiāo shuǐ.
    The water cart on the street is watering the plants.

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.

水shuǐwater
车chēvehicle

水 names water, and 车 names a vehicle, giving a waterwheel or water cart.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 車; 车 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 車 was drawn as a carriage seen from above, with wheels on both sides and a shaft at the front; the simplified 车 is a later shorthand.

Open 车 →

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