自转 (zì zhuàn) — to rotate on its own axis; rotation (of a celes…

Definition

Self-rotation on an object's own axis — contrast with 公转 (revolving around another body). Both are scientific terms: 自转 = spin, 公转 = orbit.

verb

to rotate on its own axisrotation (of a celestial body)

自转。
Dì qiú měi èr shí sì xiǎo shí zì zhuàn yì quān.
The Earth rotates once every twenty-four hours.
自转。
Kē xué jiā tōng guò guān cè héng xīng lái yán jiū yín hé xì de zì zhuàn.
Scientists study the rotation of the Milky Way by observing stars.
。
Yuè qiú de zì zhuàn zhōu qī hé gōng zhuàn zhōu qī xiāng tóng.
The Moon's rotation period is the same as its revolution period.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

自 means itself and 转 means to rotate, so the sense is that something turns on its own axis.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

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 轉; 转 is its simplified writing.

車專轉

Meaning part形符xíngfú

車車jūcarriage

Sound part声符shēngfú

專

專zhuān轉zhuǎn

Same sound today

The traditional form 轉 combines 車, a carriage, with 專 as a sound part; the simplified 转 is a later shorthand.

Appears in