电器 (diàn qì) — electrical appliance | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

电器 means electrical appliance — a general term for any powered device. Compare with 家电 (home/household appliances specifically).

noun

electrical appliance

Measure word · 台

电器。
Zhè xiē diàn qì hěn hǎo yòng.
These appliances work very well.
电器。
Qǐng bǎ diàn qì fàng dào chú fáng lǐ.
Please put the appliance in the kitchen.
电器。
Mǎi diàn qì de shí hou yào zhù yì shěng diàn.
When buying appliances, pay attention to saving electricity.

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diànelectricity

电 refers to electricity and 器 to device, forming an electrical appliance.

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

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.

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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