转速 (zhuàn sù) — rotational speed | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

rotational speed

转速。
Zhè tái jī qì de zhuàn sù hěn gāo.
The rotational speed of this machine is very high.
转速。
Qì chē fā dòng jī de zhuàn sù dá dào le měi fēn zhōng sān qiān zhuǎn.
The engine's rotational speed reaches three thousand revolutions per minute.
转速。
Fēng shàn de zhuàn sù kě yǐ tiáo jié.
The rotational speed of the fan can be adjusted.

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.

转 means rotation, and 速 means speed, so 转速 is the speed of rotation.

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 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.

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

辵辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

束

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

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