铜线 (tóng xiàn) — copper wire | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

copper wire

Measure word · 根

Examples

铜线。
Diàn gōng yòng tóng xiàn lián jiē le diàn lù.
The electrician connected the circuit with copper wire.
铜线。
Zhè xiē tóng xiàn de dǎo diàn xìng hěn hǎo.
These copper wires have good electrical conductivity.
铜线。
Tā mǎi le yí juàn tóng xiàn zuò shǒu gōng.
He bought a coil of copper wire for handicrafts.

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.

铜 means copper and 线 means wire, giving a copper wire.

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 銅; 铜 is its simplified writing.

金同銅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

同

同tóng銅tóng

Same sound today

The traditional form 銅 pairs 金 (metal) with 同 as the sound part; the simplified 铜 is a shorthand.

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

糹泉線

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

泉

泉quán線xiàn

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

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

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