重机枪 (zhòng jī qiāng) — heavy machine gun | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

heavy machine gun

Measure word · 挺

Examples

重机枪。
Bù duì pèi bèi le xīn xíng zhòng jī qiāng.
The troops were equipped with a new type of heavy machine gun.
重机枪。
Zhè zhǒng zhòng jī qiāng de shè chéng hěn yuǎn.
This kind of heavy machine gun has a very long range.
重机枪。
Shì bīng zhèng zài cāo zuò zhòng jī qiāng.
The soldiers are operating the heavy machine gun.

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.

机枪machine gun

机jīmachine枪qiānggun

偏正Modifier + head

重 (heavy) plus 机枪 (machine gun) gives a large machine gun.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

東

東dōng重zhòng

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

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木几机

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

几

几jǐ机jī

Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

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 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

木倉槍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

倉

倉cāng槍qiāng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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