电闸 (diàn zhá) — master switch, circuit breaker; main electric s…

Definition

noun

master switchcircuit breakermain electric switch

Measure word · 个

电闸。
Qǐng bǎ diàn zhá guān diào.
Please turn off the master switch.
电闸，。
diàn zhá Tiào le, jiā lǐ méi diàn le.
The circuit breaker tripped, and there's no power in the house.
电闸。
Jiǎn chá diàn zhá shì fǒu yǐ jīng dǎ kāi.
Check whether the master switch is already turned on.

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.

闸zhágate/switch

电 (electric) + 闸 (gate/switch) means a switch that cuts electric current.

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.

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 閘; 闸 is its simplified writing.

門甲閘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門méngate

Sound part声符shēngfú

甲

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 閘 pairs 門 (gate) with 甲, which gives the sound; the simplified 闸 is not the form described here.

Appears in