特斯拉 (tè sī lā) — tesla (unit of magnetic flux density, symbol T); Tesla (electric car company or Nikola Tesla)

Definition

Refers both to the SI unit of magnetic flux density (symbol T) and to the electric-car company founded by Elon Musk. Pronounced like a foreign brand name; in physics contexts the Chinese usually just says T or 特斯拉.

noun
tesla (unit of magnetic flux density, symbol T)Tesla (electric car company or Nikola Tesla)

Examples

  • 特斯拉。
    Cí chǎng de qiáng dù yòng tè sī lā lái biǎo shì.
    The strength of a magnetic field is expressed in teslas.
  • 特斯拉，。
    Tā kāi le yí liàng tè sī lā, jué de fēi cháng huán bǎo.
    He drives a Tesla and thinks it's very environmentally friendly.
  • 特斯拉。
    tè sī lā Shì shì jiè shàng zuì zhī míng de diàn dòng qì chē pǐn pái zhī yī.
    Tesla is one of the most famous electric car brands in the world.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
音译yīnyìTransliteration

The characters spell the sound of a foreign word; their individual meanings play no part.

特tè
斯sī
拉lā

The characters carry no meaning of their own here; the word transliterates the foreign name Tesla.

Sound-only characters

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
牛牛niúox
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì特tè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

Open 特 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 斯 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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