TongTong
Sign in

螺旋 (luó xuán) — screw (threaded fastener); spiral, helix (shape or structure)

Definition

Literally 'spiral/helix' — covers both the SHAPE (a corkscrew curve) and the THREADED FASTENER (a screw). The first meaning extends into technical terms like DNA's double helix.

noun
screw (threaded fastener)spiralhelix (shape or structure)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 螺旋，。
    Zhè ge luó xuán nǐng dé tài jǐn le, wǒ dǎ bù kāi.
    This screw is twisted too tight, I can't open it.
  • 螺旋，。
    Lóu tī shì luó xuán xíng de, zǒu qǐ lái yǒu diǎn tóu yūn.
    The staircase is spiral-shaped; walking on it makes me a bit dizzy.
  • DNA螺旋。
    DNA fēn zǐ shì shuāng luó xuán jié gòu.
    The DNA molecule is a double helix structure.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

螺luóspiral; twist
旋xuánspin; twist

螺 and 旋 both suggest twisting, together giving a spiral or screw.

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
虫虫chóng
Sound part声符shēngfú
累
累lèi螺luó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

螺 combines 虫, a part associated with creatures, with 累, which gives the sound.

Open 螺 →

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

  • 㫃㫃㫃flag
  • 止止zhǐfoot
  • 〇〇língcircle

旋 combines 㫃 (a flag), 止 (a foot), and 〇 (a circle), and 〇 also gave the sound.

Open 旋 →
Appears in
Shapes

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