空调 (kōng tiáo) — air conditioner; air conditioning | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Standard mainland term for 'air conditioner / air conditioning.' 冷气 means the same thing but is mainly used in Taiwan.

noun

air conditionerair conditioning

Measure word · 台

Examples

，空调。
Xià tiān hěn rè, wǒ xǐ huan kāi kōng tiáo.
It's hot in summer, so I like to turn on the air conditioner.
空调，。
Zhè ge kōng tiáo bù liáng le, kě néng huài le.
This air conditioner isn't cooling well; it might be broken.
，空调。
Wǎn shàng shuì jiào de shí hou, bié kāi kōng tiáo tài jiǔ.
Don't run the air conditioner too long when you sleep at night.

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.

From 空 (air) and 调 (adjust), together naming equipment that adjusts air.

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.

穴工空

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.

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 調; 调 is its simplified writing.

言周調

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

周

周zhōu調tiáo

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

The traditional form 調 pairs 言 (speech) with 周, which shows how it was pronounced. The simplified 调 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 3 HSK 2.0 Level 3 Home & Housing

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