透明度 (tòu míng dù) — (literal) transparency (of a material); (figurative) transparency, openness (of information, policy, process)

Definition

The noun 透明度 means 'transparency' — both the literal see-through quality of a material and, figuratively, the openness of information, policy, or decision-making.

noun
(literal) transparency (of a material)(figurative) transparencyopenness (of information, policy, process)

Examples

  • 透明度。
    Zhè zhǒng bō li de tòu míng dù hěn gāo.
    This kind of glass has high transparency.
  • 透明度。
    Zhèng fǔ yīng gāi tí gāo xìn xī tòu míng dù.
    The government should increase information transparency.
  • 透明度。
    Gōng sī de jué cè guò chéng quē fá tòu míng dù.
    The company's decision-making process lacks transparency.

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.

透明transparent
透tòuthrough明míngclear
偏正Modifier + head
度dùdegree

透明 means see-through, and 度 gives degree; together they name how transparent something is.

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
辵辵chuòwalking
Sound part声符shēngfú
秀
秀xiù透tòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 透 has 辵, a walking part, and 秀, which provides the sound.

Open 透 →

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

明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), showing the sun just rising while the moon has not yet set, or two bright objects in the sky, to express brightness.

Open 明 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →

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