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电路 (diàn lù) — electric circuit

Definition

noun
electric circuit
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 电路，。
    Zhè ge diàn lù hěn fù zá, xū yào zǐ xì jiǎn chá.
    This circuit is very complex and needs careful inspection.
  • 电路。
    Qǐng bǎ diàn lù de zǒng kāi guān guān diào.
    Please turn off the main switch of the circuit.
  • 电路。
    Wǒ men zài shí yàn shì lǐ dā jiàn le yí gè jiǎn dān diàn lù.
    We built a simple circuit in the lab.

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
路lùpath

电 electric + 路 path: an electric path is a circuit.

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

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