零点 (líng diǎn) — midnight, 12:00 AM; zero point (on a scale, e.g…

Definition

Literally 'zero point': used as the precise term for midnight (00:00) and for the zero mark on a scale (temperature, coordinates).

noun

midnight12:00 AMzero point (on a scale, e.g., temperature, coordinates)

零点。
Wǒ měi tiān líng diǎn cái shuì jiào.
I go to bed only at midnight every day.
零点。
Jīn tiān de qì wēn jiàng dào le líng diǎn yǐ xià.
Today's temperature dropped below zero.
零点，。
Xīn nián de líng diǎn, zhōng shēng qiāo xiǎng le.
At midnight on New Year's Day, the bells rang.

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.

零 means zero, and 点 refers to a point or hour, giving midnight or a zero point.

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.

雨令零

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part 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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

黑占點

Meaning part形符xíngfú

黑黑hēiblack

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

占zhàn點diǎn(r)

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

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in