降雨量 (jiàng yǔ liàng) — precipitation (meteorology); rainfall (amount)

Definition

noun

precipitation (meteorology)rainfall (amount)

降雨量。
Jīn nián xià tiān de jiàng yǔ liàng bǐ qù nián duō le hěn duō.
This summer's rainfall is much more than last year's.
降雨量。
Qì xiàng tái yù bào míng tiān de jiàng yǔ liàng huì hěn dà.
The weather station forecasts heavy precipitation tomorrow.
降雨量。
Zhè ge dì qū de nián píng jūn jiàng yǔ liàng shì bā bǎi háo mǐ.
The average annual precipitation in this region is 800 millimeters.

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.

降雨rain falls

动宾Verb + object

降雨 rain falling is measured by 量, giving precipitation amount.

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.

阝夅降

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fùhill, wall

Sound part声符shēngfú

夅

夅jiàng降xiáng

Same sound today

降 pairs 阝 (a hill or wall, written in full as 阜) with 夅, a sound part meaning 'to descend'; together they picture descending a hill.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

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

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.