铅字 (qiān zì) — movable type (individual printing characters made of lead alloy); type (in letterpress printing)

Definition

铅 (lead) + 字 (character): the individual lead-alloy pieces used in letterpress printing. A historical/technical term — almost never encountered outside discussions of pre-digital printing or printing history.

noun
movable type (individual printing characters made of lead alloy)type (in letterpress printing)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 铅字。
    Zhè jiā lǎo yìn shuā chǎng hái zài yòng qiān zì pái bǎn.
    This old printing house still uses movable type for typesetting.
  • 铅字。
    Bó wù guǎn lǐ zhǎn shì le yí tào wán zhěng de qiān zì.
    The museum displays a complete set of movable type.
  • 铅字。
    Tā shōu cáng le xǔ duō mín guó shí qī de qiān zì.
    He has collected many pieces of movable type from the Republic of China period.

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.

铅qiānlead
字zìcharacter

铅 and 字 form lead characters, the metal type used in printing.

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 鉛; 铅 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
㕣
㕣㕣鉛qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 鉛 pairs 金 (metal) with 㕣 as a sound part.

Open 铅 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
子
子zǐ字zì
Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

Open 字 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.