火花塞 (huǒ huā sāi) — spark plug | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

spark plug

Measure word · 个

Examples

火花塞。
Qì chē xiū lǐ shī huàn le huǒ huā sāi.
The car mechanic changed the spark plug.
火花塞，。
Zhè ge huǒ huā sāi huài le, suǒ yǐ chē dǎ bù zháo huǒ.
This spark plug is broken, so the car won't start.
火花塞。
Wǒ mǎi le sì gè huǒ huā sāi zhǔn bèi zì jǐ huàn.
I bought four spark plugs and plan to change them myself.

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.

火花spark

火huǒfire花huāflower

偏正Modifier + head

火花 gives the spark image, and 塞 gives the plug image: a plug that makes sparks.

Characters in this word

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹化花

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

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

宀宀miánhouse
工工gōngtwo items
廾廾gǒngtwo hands

塞 combines 宀 (house), 工 (two items), and 廾 (two hands), showing hands stuffing items into a house.

Appears in

Miscellaneous Objects

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