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滚动 (gǔn dòng) — to roll (of a ball, wheel, etc.); to scroll (on a computer screen); to rumble (of thunder)

Definition

滚动 is the verb for continuous motion — a ball rolling, screen scrolling, or thunder rumbling. 滚 alone is the bare 'roll/get out', while 轮子/轮 is specifically a wheel.

verb
to roll (of a ball, wheel, etc.)to scroll (on a computer screen)to rumble (of thunder)

Examples

  • 滚动。
    Nà ge qiú cóng shān pō shàng gǔn dòng xià lái.
    That ball rolled down the hillside.
  • 滚动，。
    Qǐng xiàng shàng gǔn dòng píng mù, chá kàn shàng miàn de nèi róng.
    Please scroll up the screen to see the content above.
  • 滚动。
    Léi shēng zài tiān kōng zhōng gǔn dòng.
    Thunder rumbles in the sky.

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.

滚gǔnroll
动dòngmove

“滚” indicates a rolling action, and “动” indicates movement; together they mean to roll or move by rolling.

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 滾; 滚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
袞
袞gǔn滾gǔn
Same sound today

The traditional form 滾 pairs 水 (water) with 袞, which supplies the pronunciation. The simplified 滚 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical 袞.

Open 滚 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Computers & Internet

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