彩电

• Pinyin: cǎi diàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 彩 = 采 (pick) + 彡 (hair/streaks), meaning colorful; 电 = 雨 (rain) + 电 variant, meaning electricity

Meaning

Color television; color TV. A television that displays images in color rather than black and white.

Short for 彩色电视机. Was once a luxury item and status symbol in China when color TVs first became available. Now a common household item, though the term persists. Often appears in discussions of consumer goods and electronics.

Examples

1. 八十年代，谁家有台彩电那可是很了不起的事。 In the 1980s, having a color TV at home was quite a big deal.
2. 这家商场正在促销大屏幕彩电。 This department store is having a sale on large-screen color TVs.
3. 爷爷还记得当年全村人挤在一起看那台彩电的情景。 Grandpa still remembers when the whole village would crowd together to watch that color TV.

Usage Guide

Context: consumer goods, history, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 家里的彩电该换了。(The color TV at home needs to be replaced.)
• 现在谁家还没有彩电啊？(Who doesn't have a color TV nowadays?)

Don't Say

• 我在彩电上看新闻。(Nowadays people just say 电视 — 彩电 sounds slightly dated unless specifically contrasting with black-and-white)

Origin & History

彩 (color) + 电 (short for 电视, television). An abbreviation of 彩色电视机.

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s-present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal