继电器 (jì diàn qì) — relay (electrical or electronic component)

Definition

noun
relay (electrical or electronic component)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 继电器，。
    Zhè ge shè bèi lǐ de jì diàn qì huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè xīn de.
    The relay in this device is broken and needs to be replaced.
  • 继电器，。
    Ān zhuāng jì diàn qì shí, yào zhù yì diàn yā hé diàn liú.
    When installing a relay, pay attention to voltage and current.
  • 继电器。
    Tā zhèng zài xué xí zěn me jiǎn chá jì diàn qì de xìng néng.
    He is learning how to check the performance of the relay.

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.

继电continue electricity
继jìcontinue电diànelectricity
动宾Verb + object
器qìdevice

继电 means keeping electrical action going, and 器 is a device; together they name a relay.

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 繼; 继 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
㡭
㡭㡭繼jì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 繼 pairs 糸 (rope) with 㡭 as a sound part; an older form may have shown four silk strands. The simplified 继 is only a later shorthand.

Open 继 →

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 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →

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