Chinese word

电脑

Pronunciation

Pinyindiàn nǎo

Meaning

  • nouncomputer

Example

你每天用电脑工作吗？nǐ měi tiān yòng diàn nǎo gōng zuò ma

Do you use a computer for work every day?

Illustration for 电脑 (computer)

More examples

我用电脑查资料。wǒ yòng diàn nǎo chá zī liào

I use a computer to look up information.

Core concept

An electronic machine that handles information by calculating, saving, and showing it.

Common phrases

  • 用电脑yòng diàn nǎo

    use a computer

  • 开电脑kāi diàn nǎo

    turn on a computer

  • 买电脑mǎi diàn nǎo

    buy a computer

Similar words

计算机jì suàn jī: A formal term for an electronic machine that calculates and processes numbers or other data.
笔记本电脑bǐ jì běn diàn nǎo: A portable computer in a flat, book-shaped case with a built-in screen and keyboard.
台式机tái shì jī: A larger computer kept in one place on or beside a desk for regular use.

Definition in Chinese

通过电子手段进行计算、存储和显示信息的机器，日常多指个人使用的台式或笔记本电脑。tōng guò diàn zi shǒu duàn jìn xíng jì suàn cún chǔ hé xiǎn shì xìn xī de jī qì rì cháng duō zhǐ gè rén shǐ yòng de tái shì huò bǐ jì běn diàn nǎo

Word origin

The modern compound 电脑 (diànnǎo, "computer") joins 电 (diàn, "electric") with 脑 (nǎo, "brain"), using a brain as a metaphor for information processing.

Usage tips

  • For a specific number of computers, Chinese normally uses the machine classifier 台 (tái, "machine classifier") before the noun, rather than placing a number directly before it.

Related words

  • 笔记本电脑bǐ jì běn diàn nǎolaptopnoun
  • 电脑软件diàn náo ruǎn jiàncomputer softwarenoun

Word lists with this word