diàn nǎo
computer
我有一台电脑。
wǒ yǒu yī tái diànnǎo.
I have a computer.
我用电脑工作。
wǒ yòng diànnǎo gōngzuò.
I use a computer for work.
我用电脑玩游戏。
wǒ yòng diànnǎo wán yóuxì.
I use a computer to play games.
计算机 (jì suàn jī)
computer
电脑主机 (diàn nǎo zhǔ jī)
computer host
微机 (wēi jī)
microcomputer
手写 (shǒuxiě)
handwritten
纸质 (zhǐzhì)
paper-based
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The Chinese word for "computer" is 电脑 (diànnǎo), which is a compound of two characters: 电 (diàn), meaning "electricity," and 脑 (nǎo), meaning "brain." The term "电脑" was coined in the 1950s by a group of Chinese scientists and engineers who were working on the development of China's first computer. They wanted to create a word that would capture the essence of this new technology, which was seen as a powerful tool for processing information and performing complex calculations. The character 电 (diàn) was chosen to represent the electrical nature of computers, while the character 脑 (nǎo) was chosen to represent the intelligent and logical capabilities of these machines. Together, these two characters form the word 电脑 (diànnǎo), which has become the standard term for "computer" in Chinese.
