Chinese word

电台

Pronunciation

Pinyindiàn tái

Meaning

  • nounradio station

Example

我在听电台的新闻。wǒ zài tīng diàn tái de xīn wén

I'm listening to the news from the radio station.

Illustration for 电台 (radio station)

More examples

他每天早上在车里听电台的音乐。tā měi tiān zǎo shàng zài chē lǐ tīng diàn tái de yīn yuè

He listens to music on the radio in the car every morning.

Core concept

A broadcasting source that sends sound programs over radio waves.

Common phrases

  • 听电台tīng diàn tái

    listen to the radio

  • 收听电台shōu tīng diàn tái

    tune in to the radio

  • 调到电台tiáo dào diàn tái

    tune to the radio station

Similar words

广播guǎng bō: The act or service of sending sound and information widely by radio waves or online.
广播电台guǎng bō diàn tái: An organization or facility that makes radio programs and transmits them over radio waves.
收音机shōu yīn jī: A machine that picks up radio signals and turns them into sound.

Definition in Chinese

通过无线电波发送声音或节目的机构或设备，负责广播新闻、音乐等内容的站点。tōng guò wú xiàn diàn bō fā sòng shēng yīn huò jié mù de jī gòu huò shè bèi fù zé guǎng bō xīn wén yīn yuè děng nèi róng de zhàn diǎn

Word origin

电台 (diàntái, "radio station") joins 电 (diàn, "electric") and 台 (tái, "platform"), forming a term for a station that uses electrical signals to broadcast.

Usage tips

  • English often uses radio for both a medium and a device, while this noun points to the broadcasting source rather than the object that receives the signal.

Related words

  • 电台节目diàn tái jié mùradio programnoun
  • 电台主持人diàn tái zhǔ chí rénradio hostnoun

Word lists with this word