热水器 (rè shuǐ qì) — water heater | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

water heater

Measure word · 台

热水器。
Tā jué dìng mǎi yì tái xīn de rè shuǐ qì.
He decided to buy a new water heater.
热水器。
rè shuǐ qì Ràng dōng tiān xǐ zǎo biàn de hěn shū fu.
The water heater makes showering in winter very comfortable.
热水器，。
Zhè ge rè shuǐ qì yòng le shí nián, hái méi yǒu huài.
This water heater has been used for ten years and still hasn't broken.

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.

热水hot water

偏正Modifier + head

热 and 水 make hot water, and 器 names a device, so the word is a device for heating water.

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 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

埶灬熱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

灬Written in full as火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

埶

埶yì熱rè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

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