Chinese word

没电

Pronunciation

Pinyinméi diàn

Meaning

  • verbrun out of power

Example

出差前，相机没电了。chū chāi qián xiàng jī méi diàn le

Before leaving for a business trip, the camera ran out of power.

Illustration for 没电 (run out of power)

More examples

上班路上，我的手机突然没电了。shàng bān lù shàng wǒ de shǒu jī tū rán méi diàn le

On my way to work, my phone suddenly ran out of power.

Core concept

Shows a phone, camera, or similar device with too little charge left for reliable operation.

Common phrases

  • 手机没电shǒu jī méi diàn

    mobile phone runs out of power

  • 相机没电xiàng jī méi diàn

    camera runs out of power

  • 电脑没电diàn nǎo méi diàn

    laptop runs out of power

Similar words

关机guān jī: Switching a device off and stopping it from running.
开机kāi jī: Switching a device on and starting it for use.
死机sǐ jī: Stopping and failing to respond when a device has a fault.

Definition in Chinese

口语中用于表示手机或电子设备电池电量耗尽或即将耗尽的短语。kóu yǔ zhōng yòng yú biǎo shì shǒu jī huò diàn zi shè bèi diàn chí diàn liàng hào jìn huò jí jiāng hào jìn de duán yǔ

Word origin

In the colloquial phrase 没电 (méidiàn, "no electricity"), 没 (méi, "not have") negates 电 (diàn, "electricity"), giving the expression its direct power-related meaning.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use "dead" for a fully drained battery, but this Chinese phrase can also fit a device whose low-charge warning has just appeared.

Other meanings

  • lose powerverb
  • dead batterynoun

Opposites

  • 有电yǒu diànhave powerverb
  • 充满电chōng mǎn diànbe fully chargedverb

Word lists with this word