车轴 (chē zhóu) — axle (the rod that connects two wheels and allows them to rotate)

Definition

noun
axle (the rod that connects two wheels and allows them to rotate)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 车轴,。
    Zhè liàng kǎ chē de chē zhóu duàn le, xū yào xiū lǐ.
    The axle of this truck is broken and needs repair.
  • 车轴。
    Gōng chǎng shēng chǎn gāo zhì liàng de chē zhóu.
    The factory produces high-quality axles.
  • 车轴。
    Jiǎn chá yí xià chē zhóu yǒu méi yǒu sōng dòng.
    Check whether the axle is loose.

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.

车chēvehicle

车 gives vehicle and 轴 gives axle, together naming the axle on a vehicle.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 車; 车 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 車 was drawn as a carriage seen from above, with wheels on both sides and a shaft at the front; the simplified 车 is a later shorthand.

Open 车 →

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 軸; 轴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcart, carriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu軸zhóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 軸 pairs 車 (cart) with a part that gives the sound, 由; it pictures an axle passing through a cartwheel. The simplified 轴 is a later abbreviation.

Open 轴 →

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