节拍器 (jié pāi qì) — metronome

Definition

noun
metronome
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 节拍器。
    Wǒ liàn qín shí zǒng shì kāi zhe jié pāi qì.
    I always keep the metronome on when I practice piano.
  • 节拍器。
    Zhè ge jié pāi qì de jié zòu hěn zhǔn.
    This metronome has very accurate tempo.
  • 节拍器120。
    Tā yòng jié pāi qì bǎ sù dù diào dào měi fēn zhōng 120 pāi.
    He used the metronome to set the speed to 120 beats per minute.

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.

节拍beat
节jiébeat拍pāibeat
联合Side by side
器qìdevice

节拍 names the beat or rhythm, and 器 names a device, yielding a device that marks beats.

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 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái拍pāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拍 puts 手 (hand) beside 白, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 拍 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.