滚珠 (gǔn zhū) — steel ball (used in ball bearings)

Definition

noun
steel ball (used in ball bearings)
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 滚珠。
    Zhè pī gǔn zhū de zhí jìng shì wǔ háo mǐ.
    The diameter of this batch of steel balls is five millimeters.
  • 滚珠。
    Wǒ men xū yào gēng huàn zhóu chéng lǐ de gǔn zhū.
    We need to replace the steel balls in the bearing.
  • 滚珠。
    Zhè zhǒng jī qì yòng le hěn duō jīng mì gǔn zhū.
    This type of machine uses many precision steel balls.

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
珠zhūball

滚 means rolling and 珠 means ball, together a rolling ball.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𤣩Written in full as玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
朱
朱zhū珠zhū
Same sound today

The left side 𤣩, a form of 玉, connects the character to jade, while the right side 朱 gives the sound.

Open 珠 →

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