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过载 (guò zài) — to overload (electrical, system, etc.); to transship (goods, cargo)

Definition

Two unrelated senses: 'to overload' (a system, device, or person — too much load) and 'to transship' (transfer goods between vehicles, e.g. ship to ship). The two meanings share only the characters; pick by context.

verb
to overload (electrical, system, etc.)to transship (goods, cargo)

Examples

  • 过载。
    Zhè ge xì tǒng guò zài le.
    This system is overloaded.
  • 。
    Wǒ de shǒu jī guò le yí cì zǎi.
    My phone overloaded once.
  • 过载。
    Huò wù xū yào guò zài dào bié de chuán shàng.
    The goods need to be transshipped to another ship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

过guòexceed/pass
载zǎiload

The idea of 过 as exceeding or passing combines with 载 as load to mean overload or transship.

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 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi過guò
Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 过 →

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 載; 载 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūchariot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏載zài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 載 has 車, a chariot, and 𢦏 gives the sound; 载 is its simplified form.

Open 载 →
Appears in
Technology & Engineering

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