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直流 (zhí liú) — direct current

Definition

Technical noun meaning 'direct current (DC)' — the electric current flows in one steady direction. Often paired with its opposite, 交流 (alternating current).

noun
direct current

Examples

  • 直流。
    Zhè zhǒng diàn chí shū chū zhí liú.
    This battery outputs direct current.
  • 直流？
    Diàn dòng jī shǐ yòng zhí liú hái shì jiāo liú?
    Does the motor use direct current or alternating current?
  • 直流。
    Tā bǎ zhí liú jiē dào diàn lù zhōng le.
    He connected the direct current to the circuit.

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.

直zhídirect
流liúflow

直 means direct or straight, 流 means flow; together they name direct current.

Characters in this word

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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