电视塔 (diàn shì tǎ) — TV tower

Definition

noun
TV tower
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 电视塔。
    Zhè zuò diàn shì tǎ hěn gāo.
    This TV tower is very tall.
  • 电视塔。
    Wǒ men zài diàn shì tǎ shàng kàn fēng jǐng.
    We are viewing the scenery from the TV tower.
  • 电视塔。
    diàn shì tǎ Shì chéng shì de yí gè biāo zhì.
    The TV tower is a landmark of the city.

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.

电视television
电diànelectric视shìsight
偏正Modifier + head
塔tǎtower

电视 means television and 塔 means tower; together a tower for broadcasting.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 視; 视 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
示
示shì視shì
Same sound today

The story is about the traditional form 視: it combines 見, meaning see, with 示, which gives the sound shì.

Open 视 →

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
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
荅
荅dá塔tǎ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

塔 shows 土 (earth) for the meaning and 荅 (dá) for the sound.

Open 塔 →

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