通气孔 (tōng qì kǒng) — air vent; ventilation opening

Definition

A 通气孔 (tōngqìkǒng) is an air vent or small opening in a wall or appliance that lets air (and fumes or moisture) flow in or out. It refers to the opening itself, not a duct or pipe.

noun
air ventventilation opening
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 通气孔，。
    Chú fáng de tōng qì kǒng dǔ zhù le, yóu yān pái bù chū.
    The kitchen vent is blocked and the cooking fumes can't escape.
  • 通气孔。
    Ān zhuāng kōng tiáo qián yào zài qiáng shàng kāi yí gè tōng qì kǒng.
    Before installing the air conditioner, you need to open a vent in the wall.
  • 通气孔，。
    Zhè ge tōng qì kǒng de shè jì hěn qiǎo miào, néng fáng zhǐ yǔ shuǐ dào guàn.
    The design of this vent is very clever; it prevents rain from backing up.

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.

通气ventilation
通tōngpass through气qìair
动宾Verb + object
孔kǒnghole

通 pass through and 气 air form ventilation, and 孔 hole gives air vent.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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

  • 丿丿piěopening
  • 子子zǐchild

孔 pairs 丿 (an opening) with 子 (a child), showing an opening in a newborn's skull.

Open 孔 →

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