电磁波 (diàn cí bō) — electromagnetic wave

Definition

noun
electromagnetic wave

Examples

  • 电磁波。
    diàn cí bō De chuán bō sù dù děng yú guāng sù.
    The propagation speed of electromagnetic waves equals the speed of light.
  • 电磁波。
    Shǒu jī tōng guò diàn cí bō chuán shū xìn hào.
    Mobile phones transmit signals via electromagnetic waves.
  • 电磁波。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū diàn cí bō duì rén tǐ de yǐng xiǎng.
    Scientists are studying the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

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.

电磁electromagnetic
电diànelectricity磁címagnetism
联合Side by side
波bōwave

电 means electricity and 磁 means magnetism; with 波 meaning wave, the whole term denotes an electromagnetic wave.

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
石石shírock; stone
Sound part声符shēngfú
兹
兹zī磁cí
Same sound today

磁 is built from 石, meaning rock or stone, and 兹, which gives the sound.

Open 磁 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí波bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 皮 gives the sound.

Open 波 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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