TongTong
Sign in

频道 (pín dào) — (television/radio) channel; frequency

Definition

频道 names a specific TV or radio station's signal — switch channels, tune to one. For abstract 'channel' (a route or means of communication), use 渠道 or 通道.

noun
(television/radio) channelfrequency
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 频道。
    Zhè ge pín dào de xīn wén jié mù hěn hǎo kàn.
    The news program on this channel is very good.
  • 频道。
    Wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng tīng zhè ge pín dào de yīn yuè.
    I listen to the music on this channel every morning.
  • 频道。
    Qǐng bǎ shōu yīn jī diào dào nà ge pín dào.
    Please tune the radio to that frequency.

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.

频pínfrequency
道dàochannel

频 refers to frequency and 道 to a channel; together they name a broadcast channel.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頻; 频 is its simplified writing.

For 频, the traditional form 頻 came from an older form showing a person near water and meaning 'on the verge'; one part was later removed to mark the 'frequent' use.

Open 频 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 5Media & News3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.