电脑房 (diàn nǎo fáng) — computer lab; computer room

Definition

noun
computer labcomputer room
Measure word · 间

Examples

  • 电脑房，。
    Wǒ men xué xiào de diàn nǎo fáng hěn dà, lǐ miàn yǒu wǔ shí duō tái diàn nǎo.
    Our school's computer lab is very big, with over fifty computers inside.
  • 电脑房。
    Xià wǔ wǒ zài diàn nǎo fáng shàng wǎng chá zī liào.
    In the afternoon, I went online in the computer room to look up information.
  • 电脑房。
    Qǐng bǎ diàn nǎo fáng de mén suǒ hǎo.
    Please lock the door of the computer room.

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.

电脑computer
电diànelectricity脑nǎobrain
偏正Modifier + head
房fángroom

电脑 names the computer, and 房 gives a room, yielding a room full of computers.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腦; 脑 is its simplified writing.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 巛巛chuānhair
  • 囟囟xìnhead; fontanel

In the traditional form 腦, the older part 匕 was replaced by a flesh part, while 巛 (hair) and 囟 (head; fontanel) stayed. The simplified 脑 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脑 →

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
戶戶hùdoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng房fáng
Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Open 房 →

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