电铃

• Pinyin: diàn líng
• Hanzi breakdown: 电 = 雨 + 申 (electricity); 铃 = 钅+ 令 (small bell, chime)

Meaning

Electric bell; a bell powered by electricity, typically used as a doorbell, school bell, or alarm signal.

Refers to any electrically operated bell used for signalling in schools, offices, factories, and residences. The sound of a 电铃 is often associated with institutional life — class changes, shift begins, or the ring of a doorbell. Less common in modern smart-home contexts where digital chimes are preferred.

Examples

1. 随着走廊尽头的电铃骤然响起，正在激烈讨论的学生们立刻收拾书包，准备下课离场。 As the bell at the end of the hallway suddenly rang, the students who had been in a heated discussion immediately packed their bags and got ready to leave class.
2. 物业维修人员检查后发现，门廊处的电铃线路因受潮短路，需整体更换内部接线。 After inspecting it, the property maintenance worker found that the doorbell wiring had shorted due to moisture and needed a full replacement of the internal connections.
3. 旧式工厂以电铃声为信号，分别在早晨开工、午休和下班时鸣响，规律准时从不间断。 Old-style factories used the electric bell as a signal, ringing on schedule without fail to mark the start of work in the morning, the lunch break, and the end of the day.

Usage Guide

Context: school, factory, residential, infrastructure

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 校园内安装的网络同步电铃系统确保了全校各楼层同时响铃，彻底解决了过去手动打铃时间不一致的问题。(The networked synchronised electric bell system installed across the campus ensures that all floors ring simultaneously, completely resolving the problem of inconsistent timing that existed with manual bell-ringing in the past.)
• 访客按下门廊电铃后，屋主可通过室内对讲机核实来访者身份，再决定是否开门迎客。(After a visitor presses the doorbell, the homeowner can verify the visitor's identity through the indoor intercom before deciding whether to open the door.)

Don't Say

• 电铃铃声 — slightly redundant; 铃声 already means 'bell sound'; say 电铃响了 (the electric bell rang) or just 铃声 for the sound itself

Origin & History

电 (electricity) + 铃 (bell, small bell) — an electrically powered bell

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal