空挡 (kōng dǎng) — neutral gear (in a vehicle); vacancy, empty slot (in a schedule, e.g., cinema); free time, spare time

Definition

Literally 'empty gear' — a car's neutral gear, also used for any empty slot in a schedule or a free moment between tasks. Notice it's a noun written 挡, not the homophonous 党.

noun
neutral gear (in a vehicle)vacancyempty slot (in a schedule, e.g., cinema)free timespare time
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，空挡。
    Kāi chē de shí hou, jì de guà kōng dǎng.
    When driving, remember to put the car in neutral.
  • 空挡。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de fàng yìng shí jiān biǎo shàng yǒu yí gè kōng dǎng.
    There is a vacancy in this movie's showtime schedule.
  • 空挡。
    Wǒ chèn zhe gōng zuò kōng dǎng xiě le jǐ fēng xìn.
    I took advantage of a spare moment at work to write a few letters.

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.

空kōngempty
挡dǎnggear

The sense of 空, empty, combines with 挡, gear or slot, to mean neutral gear or a free slot.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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 擋; 挡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
當
當dāng擋dǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 擋 pairs 扌 (hand) with 當 as the sound part; this note is about 擋, not about the parts of 挡.

Open 挡 →

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