满负荷 (mǎn fù hé) — at full capacity, at full load (adverb)

Definition

Used for machines, production lines, or people working at the absolute maximum of their capacity — nothing in reserve. Common in technical, industrial, and workplace contexts.

adverb
at full capacityat full load (adverb)

Examples

  • 满负荷，。
    Gōng chǎng de jī qì zhèng zài mǎn fù hé yùn zhuǎn, bù néng tíng xià lái.
    The factory's machines are running at full capacity and cannot be stopped.
  • 满负荷。
    Zhè tiáo shēng chǎn xiàn yǐ jīng mǎn fù hé shēng chǎn le sān gè yuè.
    This production line has been running at full load for three months.
  • 满负荷，。
    Yuán gōng men mǎn fù hé gōng zuò, zhōng yú àn shí wán chéng le rèn wu.
    The employees worked at full capacity and finally completed the task on time.

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.

满mǎnfull
负荷load
负fùcarry/load荷hécarry/load
联合Side by side

满 gives fullness, while 负 and 荷 both convey carrying weight, so the whole means a complete load.

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 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 負; 负 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 負 combines 人 (person) and 貝 (cowry), with 人 written as ⺈; the simplified 负 is a later abbreviation.

Open 负 →

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
艸艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
何
何hé荷hé
Same sound today

荷 has 艸, the grass/plant form, to show a plant, and 何 to give the sound.

Open 荷 →

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