Definitions

diàn (noun,adjective) electricity; electric
diàn (noun) lightning
diàn (noun) phone call; telegram

Etymology

Simplified form of , which depicts lightning () during a rainstorm (). The component was deleted for simplification.

About

The character for "electricity" originated from the concept of lightning, with its traditional form "電" structurally comprising the radical "雨" meaning rain and the component "申" which initially depicted a lightning flash. This form semantically linked atmospheric phenomena to the idea of sudden, powerful energy, and over centuries the meaning broadened from natural lightning to include the modern scientific concept of electrical current. The simplified form "电" emerged as a stylized reduction of the traditional character, retaining the central element derived from "申" while omitting the "雨" radical, thus reflecting a more streamlined representation of the same core idea.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

视很好看。

Diànshì hěn hǎokàn.

TV is very good-looking.

我打话给你。

Wǒ dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ.

I call you on the phone.

脑在桌子上。

Diànnǎo zài zhuōzi shàng.

The computer is on the table.

我们去看影吧。

Wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng ba.

Let's go watch a movie.

梯坏了,请走楼梯。

Diàntī huài le, qǐng zǒu lóutī.

The elevator is broken, please use the stairs.

动汽车越来越流行。

Diànqì chē yuè lái yuè liúxíng.

Electric cars are becoming more and more popular.

池没了,需要充

Diànchí méi diàn le, xūyào chōng diàn.

The battery has no power, it needs charging.

力供应中断导致停

Diànlì gōngyìng zhōngduàn dǎozhì tíngdiàn.

The power supply interruption caused a blackout.