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电冰箱 (diàn bīng xiāng) — refrigerator

Definition

noun
refrigerator
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 电冰箱。
    Wǒ de diàn bīng xiāng lǐ fàng zhe hěn duō shuǐ guǒ hé shū cài.
    There are a lot of fruits and vegetables in my refrigerator.
  • 电冰箱。
    Qǐng bǎ kě lè fàng jìn diàn bīng xiāng lǐ bīng yí xià.
    Please put the cola in the refrigerator to chill for a bit.
  • 电冰箱，。
    Zhè tái diàn bīng xiāng yòng le shí nián, gāi huàn le.
    This refrigerator has been used for ten years — it's time to replace it.

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.

电diànelectric
冰箱ice box
冰bīngice箱xiāngbox
偏正Modifier + head

电 supplies power, 冰 suggests ice, and 箱 is a box, so together they name an electric ice box.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
冫
仌bīng冰bīng
Same sound today

冰 adds 水 (water) to 冫, the short form of 仌; 冫 gives the sound, and 水 shows the meaning.

Open 冰 →

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
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng箱xiāng
Same sound today

箱 combines 竹, showing bamboo, with 相 as a sound part, to write a bamboo box or case.

Open 箱 →
Appears in
Kitchenware & Tableware

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