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noun HSK 2
Traditional 電視機
diàn shì jī
television set · TV

Meaning

电视机 is the full, formal term for a television set as a physical device. It combines 电视 (television/TV) with 机 (machine), emphasizing the appliance itself. While 电视 alone can refer to both the device and television programming, 电视机 specifically refers to the TV set as hardware.

Usage

In everyday speech, many people simply say 电视 instead of 电视机 when referring to the TV set, though 电视机 is more precise and commonly used when discussing purchasing, repairing, or placing the physical device. More formal or technical contexts prefer 电视机.

Examples

  1. 01
    我们家的电视机坏了，需要修一下。
    Wǒmen jiā de diàn shì jī huài le, xū yào xiū yīxià.
    Our TV set is broken and needs to be repaired.
  2. 02
    这台电视机是去年买的，画面很清楚。
    Zhè tái diàn shì jī shì qù nián mǎi de, huà miàn hěn qīng chu.
    This TV set was bought last year, and the picture is very clear.

Characters

Measure words

  • 台tái一台电视机
  • 部bù两部电视机

Common collocations

  • 看电视机
    kàn diàn shì jī
    to watch TV
  • 买电视机
    mǎi diàn shì jī
    to buy a TV set
  • 修电视机
    xiū diàn shì jī
    to repair a TV set
  • 打开电视机
    dǎ kāi diàn shì jī
    to turn on the TV

Origin

Formed by adding 机 (machine) to 电视 (television), literally meaning 'electric-vision machine.' This construction pattern is common in Chinese for naming appliances and devices.

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