HanziGuru.電 · diàn
電
diàn[dian4]Tone 4

electricity, lightning

HSK 1
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电
Guru Deep Dive

English · electricity, lightning

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Topology:Top-bottom
Strokes:5
Writing Balance Rule: The top 'rain' components (the flattened roof and dots) should crown the character lightly, while the bottom curving lightning zig-zag must be centered and stable underneath.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 電 includes the lower component 申 (shēn), which was simplified in the modern character to a streamlined curving hook-and-dash stroke representing a lightning flash.
1. Meaning

electricity

lightningelectric (bound form)phone call or telegramto get or give an electric shockto send via telephone or telegram
Noun / VerbNeutral#technology#nature#energy#communications
Sample Usage
  • 手机没电了。
    shǒujī méi diàn le.
    The cell phone is out of battery (electricity).
  • 外面打雷闪电。
    wàimiàn dǎléi shǎndiàn.
    It is thundering and lightning outside.
2. Sound
/[ti̯ɛn⁵¹]/Tone: 51
電
diàndian4
++
`(51)
=diàn
Initial Consonant
d
Type: Unaspirated Alveolar
Sounds like: d sound like in English 'dog'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No puff of air. Tissue remains still (sounds like English 't' in 'stop').
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge just behind the upper front teeth.
Final Rhyme
ian
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -ian rhymes with yen
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'yen'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: The -ian final has an unwritten middle glide 'i' creating the i-e-n sound cluster.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 is a sharp, authoritative drop, exactly like saying 'No!' or 'Stop!' in English.
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 4 syllable, diàn changes to a half-falling tone (about 53 pitch).
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with diān (Tone 1), make sure the pitch drops steeply rather than staying level.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, forceful karate chop dropping straight down from the top right to bottom left.
3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 5 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The top 'rain' components (the flattened roof and dots) should crown the character lightly, while the bottom curving lightning zig-zag must be centered and stable underneath.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 電 includes the lower component 申 (shēn), which was simplified in the modern character to a streamlined curving hook-and-dash stroke representing a lightning flash.

4. Components

Radical 雨 · Rain Radical (rain, weather overhead)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 雨 (Indicates weather phenomena, originating from the sky where lightning forms.)

A heavy rain cloud (雨) lit up by a sharp bolt of lightning flashing downwards (the lower strokes).

  • 雨 Rain / weather overhead
  • ⺃ / 乚 A zig-zag bolt of lightning
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally, the oracle bone and bronze scripts for 電 depicted a flash of lightning stretching down from rain clouds in the sky.

Semantic Evolution: Originally meant 'lightning' exclusively. With the invention of modern technology, its meaning expanded to cover 'electricity', and later to electrical communications like telegrams and phone calls.

  • In ancient times, lightning was viewed as bolts thrown from the rain clouds above, hence the inclusion of the rain radical.
  • Many modern Chinese technology words incorporate 电 (e.g., 电脑 computer, 电视 TV) reflecting its role as 'electric power'.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: デン
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
전
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Look up at the dark rain clouds (雨) when suddenly a violent, glowing zig-zag bolt of lightning (电) strikes with an electric shock!

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
店
diànshop, storeUses the shelter/roof radical (广) on top instead of rain, indicating a building where people do business.
甸
diànsuburbs, royal domainsUses the enclosure radical (囗) outside, representing fenced-in fields around the capital.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
店(diàn)
店 has a roof (广) for a shop building, while 电 has rain clouds (雨) for electricity and lightning.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我的手機沒___了，需要充電。
Clue: diàn
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the simplified bottom lightning stroke with the component 申 (shēn), or mixing up 电 (electricity) with 店 (shop) due to identical pronunciation and tone.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 电 mean, and what are its core components?
Production: How do you write 'electricity / lightning' in Mandarin with Pinyin and Tone 4?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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